Occupy Holiday

I have to admit that I’m feeling more obligated than inspired to write this. Stay in touch. And come up with something useful to say these days. Mostly, I’m just amazed this year is almost over. The holidays are almost here. And this “Occupy ____” is lasting this long.

Although it’s been close to a month since I’ve written any new blogs, so much has happened (besides turning 37 the end of October), that I thought you’d like to know.

For one, it’s been over 2 months now since I’ve been writing copy for what some might call a “big time” ad firm here (in Seattle). Although I thought it would be a few days and one assignment, I’ve been writing copy for over a dozen different projects – for their client – that goes out to tens of thousands of people (and soon millions around the world).

Although I’m not sure where things will lead, I’ve been happy to say that I’ve done every kind of copywriting project known to man there – so far writing copy for their clients newsletters, direct mail, a new world-wide campaign and…

Since discovering copywriting a number of years ago, this is probably the happiest and most challenged I’ve been. With that said, I’ve learned a few things that have helped me to work with them as long as I have, that I thought I would share before you go and “occupy” the holiday.

It’s little nuggets of inspiration that I feel may help you (or your business along) coming into the new year.

1. Be indispensible – Since day one I’ve always hit a deadline. Delivered things early. And kept on top of every project always instilling confidence in the project managers and account representatives there that I’ll always make things happen.
2. Show you’re interested – Although I started off on a REALLY small project that barely involved copywriting (took only about a week and a half)… the studio manager that got me in there and wanted to work with me, brought me over to “creative,” (as one of the two copywriters in that office), and I’ve been there since. My belief is that I’ve always showed an interest and let it be known to everyone there how much I love doing what I do and being in that kind of creative atmosphere.
3. Be creative but be human – There’s this thing out there called, “socially awkward.” I talked with a friend of mine Ralph who’s an author, copywriter and creative director at a boutique agency here in Seattle. Ralph’s business has been taking off these past two years and he recently hired his first “full time” designer. When we talked the other day about it, he had the option to hire this one designer that’s been doing amazing work for them as a contractor. But Ralph had basically said the reason why he didn’t hire him (even though he’s SUPER talented), was because he was just “too socially awkward.”
4. Develop relationship with non-decision makers – Let’s face it, theres a secretary like Joan in the series “Madmen,” that pretty much (secretly) runs the show. Sure you can “kiss the bosses ass,” or try and rely on just the great work you put out, but if Joan doesn’t like you, it doesn’t really mean much. Does it?
5. Don’t take on more work – Working at this ad firm, is basically 40 hours a week. When I started I was trying to finish up two clients projects and since then, probably turned down about 5 other projects only because I knew I’d have to put everything into this one opportunity. Not only that, financially, I didn’t need to take on anything else at this time. Emotionally, I also wanted some time off for myself.

So I guess that’s it. If you haven’t already done so, you might want to check out the new speaking section on “The Kick Ass Copywriter” (TKAC). For those who need a HIGHLY passionate, entertaining and informative speaker for their next group, seminar or live event… I think you’ll enjoy what I have to say.

Until next time, have a great holiday and keep kicking ASS!

From small to mega-size businesses and ad firms, I’ve taken on a wide variety of copywriting projects that encompass just about everything in my field. Simplifying great ideas into words that sell, I help businesses stand out from the noise (not just add to it).

Consistency (And Our Brand). Why Does It Matter To A Small Business?

For many it doesn’t (especially those who just think they have a business – not a brand).  But isn’t that the problem?

Let me explain…

Please watch the video below or just click here to view (if the video for some reason doesn’t show).

NOTE: Before starting “The Kick Ass Copywriter” as a debt free profitable business, I (Jared Matthew Kessler) released 5 albums of music. A book. And 3 eBooks. Switching gears to help simplify great ideas into words that sell, I help businesses stand out from the noise – not just add to it.

Click here. Let’s talk.

The Superhero Online. But Offline?

That’s a scary question for a lot of people to face.  Hiding behind the magical façade of pretending to have all the answers…

There’s an offline part of our business that’s dying to come alive.  The human side.

Taking just a few minutes to “build a relationship” offline (in-person) – it could take anywhere from a few weeks to even YEARS to build the same level of trust and rapport with any type of online copy.

Although this can get a bit scary for some – actually meeting another human being face-to-face, I think it’s important to find other ways to connect.  Not just through another blog.  Email.  On the phone.  Or on Skype.

My point?

Using your copy beyond just the online part, to match it up with who you REALLY are offline.

Less Has Become More

From something as small as the copy on your business card to something as grand as an elaborate sunshine filled website, everything needs to match.  Be in 100% alignment with your brand.  And who you say you are versus what your business is really about (beyond just the words on a computer screen)…

Beyond the lengthy copy.  And beyond touting self-help platitudes that everyone’s starting to see through.

Being solution based.  Benefits focused.  And doing that in as few words as possible, it all needs to come out at first, but then be cut down.

The Noise

I have two things on my business card.  One picture of a billboard sign with handwritten words that say, “Are you standing out from the noise or just adding to it?”

The other side?  It says thekickasscopywriter.com.

That’s it.

Why?

Because I’m more concerned with the REACTION people get from reading the copy (not just what’s written) and…

This is something I see a lot of people out there skipping.

How people react to what we’ve written.  How it actually makes someone feel.  And how others can get a sense of who we are by what we write (or don’t write).

It’s In The Space Between The Lines

So when someone asks you what you do, they know who you are by what you said.  How you said it.  And how it makes them feel (or not feel).

So say for instance someone asks me, “So what do you do?”

I say, “You know how a lot of businesses have a great idea inside their head, but for the life of them, just don’t know how to go about communicating it out into the world that actually sells it in a way without the hardsell or putting people to sleep?”

I respond by saying, “simplifying great ideas into words that sell, I help businesses stand out from the noise (not just add to it).”

That’s it.

That’s my verbal copy.

It solves my customer’s problem.  Communicates my benefits.  How I’m different.  And is actually the shortest most descriptive copy that I found explains what I do for those small businesses in my target market (that actually gets a reaction)…

Because unlike most “freelancers” out there we really need to start looking at ourselves as a business and as a brand – because that’s what we are.  A brand.

As for adding anymore information than that… it’s just noise.

Noise that people don’t really need and detracts from anyone REALLY wanting to work with us.

Living Our Brand

So whether it’s your company name.  Your blog.  Whatever it is… live your brand (both online and offline).

It’s in how we look.  What we write.  What we say (or don’t say).  Because who really cares how “great” we are online…  Offline, I’d just like to meet the same person…

Superhero or not.

Wouldn’t you?

QUESTION: Do you love your business, but know you shouldn’t be the one writing for it?  Or perhaps you may even feel you could ruin the reputation you’ve spent so long in building?  Heck… maybe you’re just way too embarrassed to even share it with anyone because you know deep down inside that whatever you write, doesn’t accurately represent who you are and what your business is really about.

One Year Ago Today. Where Were You?

Do you know?

Often times we’re so caught up with what’s going on in the world today, that we miss out on what we’ve really done. What we’ve really accomplished.  And I think we should take a moment and get drunk celebrate.  Don’t you?

For me, one year ago today is when I took on my first “real” Copywriting client (despite counting the previous 15 YEARS I was “writing copy” without even knowing it).  Fully stepping into my role as a “The Kick Ass Copywriter” it’s fun to look back and see how it all started without any loans.  Investing any real money (debt).  And how scared shitless I was rapidly it took off without knowing how the frig to run any kind of business like this.

Looking Forward

For me, I love to do that by understanding how I can save more time.  Add more value.  And make more fashizzle of an impact on businesses like yours.  To the point that if I were to build and sell one of the following three products, I was hoping to see which you would most likely buy through your feedback here, and submitting your vote (it’ll only take a few seconds).

Once done, I hope to bribe you with know more about what you really want – versus what you don’t. Just like this blog, if a TON of people want it, it continues.  If not, it doesn’t.

So did you have a chance to think about where you were (one year ago today)?  I was…

Testing It All

Seeing if anyone would hire me for my “kick ass copywriting” abilities, I posted something on my last blog and an individual took me up on it.

Then I just asked that person why they hired me.  What made me different than everyone else.  And looked at the type of person they were (sex, age, occupation)… using it to search for more people just like them to hire me.

I Was Networking

Finding meetups to meet people who needed my kind of service – NEVER meeting with other people who did what I do.  I still don’t.

Looking At Myself As A Business (NOT A “Freelancer”)

Being someone who’s sensitive to certain words, I always look at the word “freelancer” as someone jumping around from job-to-job looking to sign up on another crowd sourced website competing for bullshit slave wages and…

Need I say more?

Getting An Attitude

I realized that wasn’t good, nor was it getting me business – in fact it hurt a ton of previous business relationships I had (slowly killing me).  So I went back to the basics of what my original mentor had told me (and what worked for me).

“Be the kind of person other people want to be around.”

Probably costing me about $20,000 in lost sales just this past year, that’s hasn’t happened in about 3 or 4 months – as I’m sure you’ve seen.

Focusing On What Was Working For Me (Versus What Wasn’t)

If you can’t already tell, at this very moment I’m not too concerned with “building an online audience.”

Why?

It does’t necessarily excite me as much as talking to you in person (or over the phone).  It doesn’t always play to my strengths (blogging).  And it doesn’t work as well for me – as it does for others.  Will it change?

I’m still trying to decide.

Ditching Unsupportive People

I’m talking about blood relatives.  People whom I had to always convince that what I was doing was “good enough” (besides the “you need a good job with great benefits and a 401k” BS of yesteryear).  Now I don’t convince anyone anymore.  I just do what I do, because I have to.

Sounds like a great line for a song, huh?

“I just do what I do, cause I have to.”

Stepping Into The Business Side

Being the LAST person on the planet to enjoy running the “business side” of things (sales, contracts, etc)… you know anything that has to do outside of actually writing copy, I didn’t like, but had to embrace.

Realizing that 30% of my business is actually getting paid to write copy, I’ve really learned to enjoy it. To enjoy the marketing. Enjoy the meetups.  Enjoy working with an eclectic bunch of businesses from all walks of life (in every aspect of the world). And enjoy building meaningful relationships with other people like you, who actually care about their business.

Charging Less Than I Was Worth

It was a great learning experience though, and perhaps the greatest mental challenge I’ve had to overcome.  But now, I’ve really come to find a real comfort in what I charge.  Increasing my rate 4 or 5 times over the last year to something that currently suits me a lot more (for the kind of service I’m used to providing)…

I’ve always come to deliver 2 to 3 times more value that what I charge – and believe I have always done so.

Realizing that the level of people that can now afford my service are the people whom I like to work with most, the opposite of that is also true.  The less you charge, the more shady people you’ll work with.  And fortunately for me, I have only dealt with one “shady” character so far.

Overcoming The Hardest Time Of My Life

Kelly, my girlfriend of the last four years was back in California paying off the last of her debt (Bailey – our Corgi was there too).  I was in a new place.  Knew no one.  And couldn’t get any real employer to hire me.

Looking back, I now understood how that had to happen.  Otherwise nothing would’ve.

Strange, huh?

So that’s just bit about where I was – a year ago today.  You?

QUESTION: Do you love your business, but know you shouldn’t be the one writing for it?  Or perhaps you may even feel you could ruin the reputation you’ve spent so long in building?  Heck… maybe you’re just way too embarrassed to even share it with anyone because you know deep down inside that whatever you write, doesn’t accurately represent who you are and what your business is really about.

Blah Blah Blah

We’re getting there huh?  In fact, sometimes I feel like it’s already coming to that.  You know?

Inundated with the same ole super-hero entrepreneur that’s got it all figured out.  That seems to have everything in place.  That seems to have so many “friends” on Twitter.  Facebook. And now “Google +1″ I don’t know about you, but I sometimes don’t know who to believe anymore…

And what’s even a “great opportunity” for us.

My mind often wondering, “Is this just some highly inflated BS they’re trying to sell me or do they really care,” I feel like our brain is just shutting down from a constant overwhelm of too many people doing the same ole shit stuff.

So how do we know what’ss the right thing for us (and our business)?  And are we starting to disbelieve just about anything and everything people tell us because there’s just too many things vying for our attention these days?

I think so.

Because let’s face it, there’s more people going from “working a job” to starting a business.  More people unable to “find a job,” so they start a business.  And more people THINKING that having a “great idea” is going to give them business that, it’s getting pretty overwhelming.

Pretty overwhelming to the point that I really believe it’s time to get back to the basics.  And start simplifying things in our lives again.

So what do we do?

We join another program, pay another “coach,” or follow another “guru” that seems to have “the answer”…

Realizing “the answer” they have only works for them.  Not us.

Why?

We’re not them.  We’re us silly.

So after a few months of either sitting or pitching that “great idea” to everyone and their mom the world, we finally start to realize it’s not as easy as it sounds.  Trying to do whatever it takes to get someone to buy into our “great idea.”  Our service.  Or our product. It can get incredibly frustrating to get things working like we want.

Why?

Because there’s much more to it than just having a great idea.  

There’s more competition.  And now more than ever, there seems to be a huge increase in noise distraction on trying to sell someone on how much better our product or service is over everyone else’s, that it’s hard to know who to believe (even if someone really is telling the truth).  I mean how do you know?

Coming up on my first year of running my own profitable and 100% debt free business (July 13, 2010 I actually took on my the first paying client)…

I’ve had the pleasure of (hopefully) helping hundreds of businesses per month through this blog.  Close to two dozen completely different business owners, through my “kick ass” copywriting service. And meeting hundreds of entrepreneurs and small business owners around the globe in various meetups/networking events that it’s time to do bit of reflection in helping businesses, “Simplify their great ideas, into creatively effective words that sell (without the unsell).”

Has it been fun?

Absolutely!

But it’s also a lot of work.  A TON of losing big money from saying stupid shit learning.  Growing pains.  And mental breakthroughs I’ve had to overcome just about everything single morning I wake up, that I feel like it’s time for us to sit back and look over the year.  Over where we want to go.  And how we want to help more businesses and inidviduals out there get away from adding to the “Blah Blah Blah.”

Don’t you?

QUESTION: Do you love your business, but know you shouldn’t be the one writing for it?  Or perhaps you may even feel you could ruin the reputation you’ve spent so long in building?  Heck… maybe you’re just way too embarrassed to even share it with anyone because you know deep down inside that whatever you write, doesn’t accurately represent who you are and what your business is really about.

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