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Train fatality affects NE Corridor rail service
Associated Press – April 26, 2011 5:35 PM ET NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) – Northeast Corridor line rail service between Metropark and Trenton, N.J., has been temporarily suspended after a person…

Published Apr 26, 2011.
Read more: WCAX-TV Vermont

Telethon, Times-News special section to aid tornado relief
A telethon to benefit victims of the April 16 tornadoes will be broadcast throughout Friday on News 14 Carolina, according to Time-Warner Cable.Time-Warner and News 14 will host the telethon from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. with News 14 featuring the event every hour. The telethon will include…

Published Apr 28, 2011.
Read more: Burlington Times-News

OK, let’s get get right to it:

The “#1 Secret” of ALL great copywriters is they never try and re-invent the wheel. (In a moment I’ll give you a tip on how you can take advantage of something they ALL do.)

Again, they never try and re-invent the wheel.

Do you believe that?

The “great ones” are so creative, and so good at what they do, I had a hard time believing that when I first learned it. But it’s true. And now it makes so much sense to me, because it’s that way in any craft, isn’t it?

As I write this my oldest son is in Lincoln, NE, working as a bricktender. He’s also being taught bricklaying. Because he works on upscale homes, he’ll sometimes see some very elaborate and creative brick work. I know because of the excitement in his voice as he describes the latest fireplace archway, patio entrance, window, door or wall he’s been working on.

You ever see the finished product, of advanced and creative brick work? It’s actually pretty impressive what they can do.

In the same way, the finished product of the ‘Master’ Copywriter’s product is highly creative as well. Creative enough to sell billions of dollars in merchandise.

Yet believe it or not, it’s no great mystery how they do it. In fact, once you know the fundamentals you can easily spot what they’re doing.

That’s because all good copywriter’s know it’d be foolish to stray too far away from the fundamentals.

Why?

Because they work! That’s how they got to be fundamentals. And just like in every other field, when you start trying to re-invent the wheel, that’s when you start running into trouble.

So with that in mind, here’s a tip you can put to use right away. Start doing this and you’ll be in some pretty good company, because they ALL do this … I’d bet 100% of ‘em!

Here’s the tip: Create a “swipe file”.

Beginning today, examine your ‘junk mail’ before you throw it away. You know what I’m talking about. It’s the endless stream of unsolicited offers you get in your mailbox, your email, etc. And for our purposes here I’d even include other all media, besides just your mail, e.g., all broadcast and print.

Here’s how to put it to use:

You can start out by taking just one element of a winning sales letter (or other “messages”) — the most important element — it’s headline. And become a student.

Every time you find a headline that ‘jumps out at you’ (i.e., it’s tempting to you, so tempting you feel you have to keep reading) SAVE IT IN A FILE. Later, when it’s time to write your own letter, you can go over your files and select 3, 4, 5, or 10 of them (or more) you like, study them until you know why they appeal to you, and pick one to use as a model for your own headline!

This is the exact same procedure the worlds greatest copywriters use, so don’t let this tips’ simplicity fool you.

In fact, you should do it from now on … at least until you’re writing your own million dollar sales letters.

Then you can ‘re-invent the wheel’ if you want to … but I doubt if you’ll want to.

Again, I know this technique sounds a little simplistic. But that’s what makes some of the greatest gems of wisdom so profound – their simplicity.

Try it. Begin using this idea today — and, in no time at all — you will definitely INCREASE SALES!

To your success …

Originally published here.

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Virgil Stanphill

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