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E-ssential
Message # 092:
Free Hand. Brain Extra.
When I was just starting out as an advertising copywriter, I did what every aspiring copywriter or creative artist has to do.
I put together a portfolio of mock ads that I made up for imaginary products and modifying existing ads that I had found in magazines. The next thing an aspiring copywriter does is 'shop' his or her portfolio around -- and again, that's what I did. I found the addresses of the biggest advertising agencies in the city and I got the names of the creative directors.
Then I sent them all letters telling them about me and all the wonderful things I could do for them. For some of them, I also went around personally to drop off a gimmick -- a full-size fake arm that I bought at the local novelty store. On the sleeve in big letters, I wrote this headline, 'Free Hand. Brain Extra.'
Underneath I put my name and phone number. Then I waited a few days and summoned up the courage to call. The letters worked, and the gimmick worked even better. I got a lot of interviews.
So here I was, fresh out of school, full of excitement about how I was going to change the world. It was intimidating to walk into major advertising agencies with their awards posted all over the walls of their reception areas. It was even more intimidating to maintain my self-confidence in the interviews as these big, important creative directors with even bigger egos flipped through the pages of my pitiful amateur portfolio.
I remember their reactions -- even the expressions on their faces -- as they quickly passed over some pages and stopped to look a little harder on other pages. Inevitably, they'd say to me, 'This ad doesn't do your portfolio justice -- you should take it out. But this ad is brilliant. It works. I like it. Well done.'
Every time I opened up my book for another creative director, I got that comment. The only problem was, every creative director picked out a different ad for which one was bad and which one was brilliant.
And so I quickly learned that no matter how experienced they were, how famous, how smart, how many awards they won or how much conviction they spoke with, I was the one who had to figure out what worked and what didn't, what was good and what was bad, and why.
Fast forward to today. Everywhere, on every digital street corner it seems, there's another self-proclaimed guru touting big promises of wealth and simplistic formulae, passing judgment on what and how you should conduct your business and your life.
Take the time and make the effort to find out what works for you. Yes, listen to everyone's advice -- but only take your own.
Happy selling,
Who is Michel Neray and What's The Essential Message?
The Essential Message is about discovering your true differentiation and then learning how to communicate it in the most compelling way. But higher sales, greater alignment of sales and marketing and a stronger brand position aren't the only reasons why so many independent professionals, entrepreneurs and emerging companies rave about The Essential Message.
Clients also say that one of the biggest advantages of the Essential Message approach is how it helps them gain the confidence, momentum and resilience that can only come from being absolutely clear about their strengths and unique difference – as companies and as individuals.
The Essential Message was created by Michel Neray based on 25 years as an award-winning copywriter, an entrepreneur, a tradeshow pitchman and a senior sales and marketing executive. (He also rides motorcycles, does whitewater canoeing, and has his 2nd degree black belt in karate.)
For information about our corporate facilitation, copywriting and consulting services, or booking Michel to speak at your conference, please call 416 534-4766 or link to www.EssentialMessage.com.
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