Are You Embarrasssed To Admit You Need A Copywriter?

It's silly, but some people are embarrassed to admit that they don't write winning copy.

In fact, my best friend is one of them. Every time she calls me for help with a letter or her web page copy, she apologizes for needing help. She, like many others, seems to think that since she's an intelligent person, she should be able to write great copy.

Why? I'm not embarrassed to admit I need her help figuring out debits and credits. I'm also not embarrassed to hire a mechanic for my car or a professional to cut my hair. I didn't study those things and have no talent for them. So what?

Unfortunately, too many people who think they "should" be able to write go ahead and do it. They write their own sales letters and ad copy - with results that are often detrimental to their success. A poorly written letter can be worse than no letter at all.

Business owners often have a second problem: time.

In addition to thinking they should be able to write, some people suffer from thinking that they should be able to write a good letter on the first draft, or turn out a winning ad in 15 minutes -- and they should be able to do it in between other tasks that have their minds spinning seven different directions.

When they're running a small business that might be all the time they have to devote to the task, but it just doesn't work that way.

By the way, time is also one reason why ads produced by a newspaper sales staff or a yellow page ad salesman are often dismal. Even if they've studied copywriting and know what it takes, they don't have time to use that skill. They need to get busy making the next sale.

The truth is good copywriting takes time, study, and plenty of thought. And after that it takes proofreading. Depending upon the subject matter, one simple sales letter could take all day to write. One classified ad could take several hours.

It's a fact that sometimes the shortest copy can take the most time, because each word is so important. Copywriters spend hours considering words and their impact and trying to choose exactly the right ones to evoke the desired emotions in their readers.

Quit feeling guilty because you're not a professional copywriter. Instead, keep on doing your own job exceptionally well - and be thankful that you don't have to do everyone else's job in addition to your own. Find a good copywriter who understands your business and your goals, turn the job over to him or her, and then get ready for increased sales.