Cash Flow, Lawsuits & Arguing with Idiots

A couple weeks ago I ran a simple poll in the Product Creation Work Group. I asked the group members: “What is currently your biggest business problem?” Here were the results: As you can see, “Inconsistent cash flow” was the clear winner. A larger sample size might have produced a different result. But I’m willing […]

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David Ogilvy’s Creative Process for Writing Sales Copy

A few days ago, Sean B. Alger sent me the following tweet. It was a bit cryptic. I thought he’d written a post in which he’d described himself as a lousy copywriter. Turns out, he had linked to an old David Ogilvy letter in which Ogilvy had described himself as a lousy copywriter.

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The Effect of Signs & Incentives on Littering

I hate littering. It’s inconsiderate. And it’s a form of laziness I just can’t stand. There are the intentional litterers: the gum chewers who spit their gum on the sidewalk, the smokers who flick their cigarette butts out their windows, the dog owners who leave their dogs’ feces on the sidewalk or in a neighbor’s […]

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The Advice I Gave to a Young Copywriter

Last night I spoke with a young copywriter about a project he’s considering accepting. Naturally, he was excited about the project. He’s still getting experience and learning the craft, so just about any opportunity is exciting. But as he explained the details of the project to me, I spotted a few red flags. For example, […]

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Gary Halbert’s Newsletters in Chronological Order

TheGaryHalbertLetter.com contains a wealth of information for copywriters and direct marketers. But if you’ve ever tried to read through the archive of newsletters in chronological order, you know it’s much easier said than done. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised to discover that a fellow marketer had taken the time to create an “online index” […]

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