Last week I sat beside Drayton and watched him go through copy written by one of his clients. Keep in mind this piece of copy wasn’t bad.
Drayton just sat there, in front of his screen, and edited it with such ease it was amazing.
By the time he finished, it was a masterpiece.
Best,
Rezbi
www.eadim.com
www.commonsensedirectmarketing.com
Filed under Clayton Makepeace, copywriting by on Jun 22nd, 2010. Comment. 
Last week I sat beside Drayton and watched him go through copy written by one of his clients. Keep in mind this piece of copy wasn’t bad.
Drayton just sat there, in front of his screen, and edited it with such ease it was amazing.
By the time he finished, it was a masterpiece.
Best,
Rezbi
www.eadim.com
www.commonsensedirectmarketing.com
Filed under charm, Clayton Makepeace, copywriting, direct marketing, Drayton Bird, sales copy by on Jun 22nd, 2010. Comment.
How d’you like the sound of this?
I read it and wept.
“At a 5% royalty, my income from a single ad often exceeds $1,000,000. How long does a winning piece of copy take me to write? Less than two weeks.”
The man who wrote it is Ted Nicholas, who may be the highest-paid copywriter in America right now.
One or two others lay claim to that crown – Clayton Makepeace for instance – but who’s arguing when it comes to that kind of money?
Now contrast it with what I heard in the last week from two highly competent English writers I know.
“20 years ago I was getting £2,500 for a mail pack. Now I’d be dancing in the street if I got that.”
“People are moaning at paying more than £1,000 for a mail-pack.”
Well, as more than one person has observed, if you pay peanuts, what you end up with is monkeys.
But having delivered myself of that bit of waggery, let me make a serious point.
Virtuous circle versus vicious circle
Ted Nicholas makes big money because he gives people what they want – results.
They are so keen to get them that they pay royalties – a common practice in the U.S. So he can afford to spend two weeks on a mailing.**
It’s a virtuous circle. If you have enough time, you’re more likely to create a winner – and the more winners you create the more people pay, the more time and money you get – and so on.
But some people in this country do get fancy money for creative work. One agency less than half a mile from my offices was charging £15,000 for mailing packs two years ago – and if you see their gorgeous offices, you know they need the money.
What might surprise you is that their work was so disastrous that even their big client’s board noticed it eventually – - and fired the marketing director.
How do people like this get away with it? I’ll tell you.
Because strangely enough, results are not what some people want. I don’t just mean those impressed by smart offices or who like a lot of entertaining.
It’s more complicated than that.
One marketing man with a huge company told my partner Marta that good results meant their budgets were cut. And you may recall my story about the marketing director whose love of brand values far exceeded any trivial concerns about response.
But here is the start of a vicious circle. People are chosen for reasons other than results. Then those on high decide, quite reasonably, direct marketing doesn’t work … and next time it’s harder to get the budgets.
If you want results, give people the time and money to deliver them.
Let me end with three pieces of news for you – but let me guess which you will decide is good and which is bad.
1. This series of 51 is now coming to an end. (Sighs of relief all round).
2. So many people have said they like these ideas – and quite a few have said they want me to carry on – that I will. (Mixed feelings all round).
3. Many of you find it hard to keep up with them all, so I’m just going to do two a week. (More sighs of relief – especially from me).
Please tell me if you have any topics you’d like covering, and I’ll try.
** Here’s another reason why I sometimes cry into my beer.
For over two years the control mailing and door-drop for our biggest client, who sends them out by the million have been ours.
They keep testing them against other people’s efforts; nobody has ever beaten us. Their second best producer is also ours; and it looks like their third best will be, too.
If only we were on a royalty!
That is what I call a return on investment – but you won’t get it for £1,000 – or £2,500, for that matter.
Best,
Drayton
P.S. This is number 45 of Drayton Bird’s 101 free helpful marketing ideas. You can sign up on the link below for the rest.
—————————————–
Website: www.draytonbird.com / www.eadim.com
Click here to get 101 free helpful marketing ideas. Marketers from all over the world think they’re a pot of gold.
The Drayton Bird Blog – please do not visit if you are easily offended.
Filed under Big Money, Clayton Makepeace, copywriter, copywriting, Drayton Bird, Royalties, Royalty, Ted Nicholas by on Mar 11th, 2010. Comment.
First you drive Traffic (to your site); then you monetize that traffic; then you re-invest profits (into your business). Those are are three basic steps to building and using a list.
Listen and watch as Clayton goes further into how to achieve these aims.
Filed under Clayton Makepeace, internet business by on Mar 10th, 2010. Comment.
As the title says, Rich Schefren interviews Clayton Makepeace.
Clayton discusses all aspects of copywriting and direct mail.
Filed under Clayton Makepeace, copywriting by on Mar 9th, 2010. Comment.
As the title says, Rich Schefren interviews Clayton Makepeace.
Clayton discusses all aspects of copywriting and direct mail.
Filed under Clayton Makepeace, copywriting, direct mail, Rich Schefren by on Mar 9th, 2010. Comment.
Do you know of a more successful, admired entrepreneur than Richard Branson?
And did you know he started out in direct marketing, selling records?
Wouldn’t you like to know his secrets? What kind of mind he has? How he goes about things? Go here and see one of his former partners tell you. You’ll get an idea of what it takes to turn an idea into a big business… without spending a penny of your own money.
(And there’s a surprise bonus waiting for you if after watching it you’d like to know to know more).
The man in the clip is called Rowan Gormley, and I’m very pleased to say that I saw him last year. He helped Branson set up three successful businesses, and now has his own which is a huge success after less than a year.
When you watch the clip you’ll laugh – and realise that Branson’s key to success is a million miles away from business school theory. But hurry. The clip is only up for 4 days.
It’s a little foretaste of a unique new Commonsense Marketing programme, featuring some of the world’s most talented business people – created by one of the world’s most influential marketers.
I can say this with a straight face because I have all his books on my shelves, I’ve spent a fair amount of time (and money) with him and learned a lot. But I am not alone.
When the Chartered Institute of Marketing wanted to decide which 50 living individuals, worldwide, have shaped modern marketing his name was on the list.
Sir Martin Sorrell, whose WPP business turns over £7.5 billion, was once his boss. He said people all over the world were “lucky enough to learn from” this man.
Ken McCarthy, the “Godfather” of internet marketing (another man I’ve studied with) called him,
“a genius. Really”
and
“the most accomplished living direct marketer”
I actually saw Ken tell how his own success was sparked by this man.
And the legendary David Ogilvy said he,
“knows more about direct marketing than anyone in the world”
You can look at almost every leading marketer today and find they had something in common. Gary Bencivenga, Clayton Makepeace, Yanik Silver – even Joe Sugarman. They all learned from this man – as did David Magliano, the only man ever named Marketing Director of the Year twice – and Ad Age’s Global Marketing Director of the Year for his work on the London Olympics.
His name probably won’t come as any surprise to you: Drayton Bird. By a strange numerical coincidence he’s worked in 50 countries in 50 year career with some of the world’s most famous brands – and many tiny businesses you’ve never heard of.
Every time I see him I pick up business gems worth goodness knows how much. I sat through most of a week last year with him and his faculty of great marketers just taking notes. (Yes, I really do know him, personally. He happensto be my marketing teacher and I can prove it.)
Now he’s done it again. It’s taken him three solid years – and as I say, this little clip is just a taster. Check it out here, while it’s up.
It gives a unique insight into the minds of two entrepreneurs – Branson and Gormley. It’s also very funny … and if you register you’ll discover that the drinks are on Drayton.
And did you know he started out in direct marketing, selling records?
Wouldn’t you like to know his secrets? What kind of mind he has? How he goes about things? Go here and see one of his former partners tell you. You’ll get an idea of what it takes to turn an idea into a big business … without spending a penny of your own money
(And there’s a surprise bonus waiting for you if after watching it you’d like to know to know more).
The man in the clip is called Rowan Gormley, and I’m very pleased to say that I saw him last year. He helped Branson set up three successful businesses, and now has his own which is a huge success after less than a year.
When you watch the clip you’ll laugh – and realise that Branson’s key to success is a million miles away from business school theory. But hurry. The clip is only up for 4 days.
It’s a little foretaste of a unique new Commonsense Marketing programme, featuring some of the world’s most talented business people – created by one of the world’s most influential marketers.
I can say this with a straight face because I have all his books on my shelves, I’ve spent a fair amount of time (and money) with him and learned a lot. But I am not alone.
When the Chartered Institute of Marketing wanted to decide which 50 living individuals, worldwide, have shaped modern marketing his name was on the list.
Sir Martin Sorrell, whose WPP business turns over £7.5 billion, was once his boss. He said people all over the world were “lucky enough to learn from” this man.
Ken McCarthy, the “Godfather” of internet marketing (another man I’ve studied with) called him “a genius. Really” and “the most accomplished living direct marketer.” I actually saw Ken tell how his own success was sparked by this man.
And the legendary David Ogilvy said he “knows more about direct marketing than anyone in the world.”
You can look at almost every leading marketer today and find they had something in common. Gary Bencivenga, Clayton Makepeace, Yanik Silver – even Joe Sugarman. They all learned from this man – as did David Magliano, the only man ever named Marketing Director of the Year twice – and Ad Age’s Global Marketing Director of the Year for his work on the London Olympics.
His name probably won’t come as any surprise to you: Drayton Bird. By a strange numerical coincidence he’s worked in 50 countries in 50 year career with some of the world’s most famous brands – and many tiny businesses you’ve never heard of.
Every time I see him I pick up business gems worth goodness knows how much. I sat through most of a week last year with him and his faculty of great marketers just taking notes
Now he’s done it again. It’s taken him three solid years – and as I say, this little clip is just a taster. I’m furious to be honest. What I’ve paid tens of thousands for over the years you can get for peanuts.
Check the clip out here, while it’s up. It gives a unique insight into the minds of two entrepreneurs – Branson and Gormley. It’s also very funny … and if you register you’ll discover that the drinks are on Drayton.
