Case Study: World’s Best Copywriter

Who’s your top pick for, “The World’s Best Copywriter?”

Is it a current superstar like John Carlton, Dan Kennedy, or Jay Abraham?

Was it Gary Halbert when he was still alive?

Or Gene Schwartz or David Ogilvy from even further back?

Or maybe you prefer the classic writers like John Caples, Victor Schwab, or Robert Collier.

Well one thing all “the greats” will tell you is that it’s ESSENTIAL to consistently study the other greats.

So let’s check out one more heavy-hitter… maybe even THE best.

And depending on when you joined the entrepreneurial game you may or may not know about this living legend, because he’s retired.

Let’s dig deep into one of Gary Bencivenga’s brilliant ads.

AND IF YOU DO NOTHING ELSE…

…Make sure you grab Gary’s bullets from the ad (below) and plunk them into your bullet file… we’ll be talking about them shortly.

You do have a bullet file don’t you?

It’s a great way to “prime the pump” when you’re writing.

Which is what musicians do before they play… and athletes do before they compete…

… They warm up!

So try it next time you sit down to write… read a bunch of hot bullets out loud for a couple minutes.

You’ll be surprised at what you’ve picked up by osmosis and how your writing just flows.

OK, here’s the headline for Gary’s 1994 ad…

When you examine this headline, you see it does a lot of heavy lifting.

First, it FLAGS only the prospects you’re hoping to attract, with 2 simple words, “Job hunting?”

Then it swipes from one of the greatest headlines of all time, by Maxwell Sackheim…

“Do You Make These Mistakes In English?”

It’s powerful because simply asking a question engages your mind, which automatically starts to answer.

But there’s even more subtlety involved when you use the word, “These.”

Because it makes you feel like you’re on the outside looking in… but you can’t quite see what’s going on…

… But you WANT to find out… so diabolical.

Now take a look at the introduction (I’ll give you the link to the pdf of the whole ad in a minute).

Gary is exacerbating the problem with a combination of the two best copywriting formulas… AIDA and PAS.

The first formula is AIDA…

ATTENTION – grab the reader and give ‘em a shake!

INTEREST – hook them with some fascinating aspect of their problem…

DESIRE – fan the flames of what they want…

ACTION – clearly show them what their next step should be…

The second formula is PAS… Problem… Agitate… Solve, and he’s definitely agitating the problem in these paragraphs.

So by now, the reader’s been sucked in deep and they’re thinking…

“Woe is me… it looks pretty bleak to be searching for a job. What can I possibly do?”

Now notice how Gary takes a somewhat ungraspable number and turns it into something tangible.

We go from 1,000-to-2,000 resumes… to “SEVEN full-size sacks stuffed with resumes,” which sounds so much more alarming.

It’s something Jay Abraham also emphasizes… “dimensionalizing” all the aspects of your persuasion so it’s more quantifiable, palpable, and digestible.

Zig Ziglar says the same thing, “Use meaningful specifics instead of wandering generalities.”

OK, so if you’re looking for a job, hope is now on the horizon… or at least further on in the ad.

Next, we deepen the trance by digging into what kind of questions a tough interviewer might ask as Gary introduces the now-prepared reader to his amazing FREE REPORT.

It’s so good that just the next couple paragraphs of description are enough, by itself, to sell the report.

It’s irresistible.

Because the report has wonderful credibility since it’s…

>>> a quick read…

>>> it’s privately published and not available in bookstores…

>>> it gives you an enormous edge…

>>> it’s based on extensive research with hiring executives, recruiters, etc…

>>> it even incorporates the results of videotaped studies through two-way mirrors!

Sheesh… two-way mirrors even!

So if you’re looking for a job, you’ll be sweating bullets by now… but you also have a glimmer of hope.

Which is the perfect time for Gary to unleash a barrage of copywriting bullets that make you NEED the report even more desperately…

There’s only one thing I have to say about these bullets…

STUDY THEM!

They’re genius.

They also present a 2-part bullet format that’s very powerful.

Namely, to first give a more obvious statement, followed by a twist like this:

“Tell me about yourself.” (This one seems so easy, but most candidates botch it badly—and never realize it.)

It’s almost like the first statement is ordinary which makes prospects let their guard down, which then lets the persuasion sneak past their resistance as you plant even more curiosity and desire into their minds.

Next up in extracting the Bencivenga secrets from this ad is very familiar…

… THE BONUSES, because Gary’s got ‘em.

And again, they’re fortified by more dynamite bullets.

The first BONUS has straightforward bullets in traditional bullet format… like this…

Then, to vary the formatting, Gary has another string of bullets that are presented in paragraph form:

It’s a great example of something most rookie copywriters neglect.

They don’t realize that FORMATTING and presentation is just as important as the words used in the copy.

Because if you don’t keep mixing up the formatting, your readers get visually bored.

And even if your copy is brilliant, they’ll just drift away for no apparent reason.

It’s why, in the emails you get from us, the line length is short.

Because when the eye falls on a long line of type, there’s an initial resistance to having to read so much.

But short lines present an easier degree of difficulty.

It’s very subtle, but the devil’s in the details.

OK… so that’s the wrap… except for you to download and study the entire ad here.

I also want you to pay special attention to a few of Gary Bencivenga’s most powerful lines:

>>> How to make nervousness and body language work for you.

>>> Indeed, having this report is like having the answers before you take the final exam.

>>> How to make your bargaining position stronger, even if you’re out of work!

 >>> Mistake made by 90% of those fired from a prior job. It can guarantee you won’t be hired again soon!

And one last mighty bullet:

Tell me about something you did in your life that makes you feel ashamed. (You feel like answering, “None of your business,” but don’t! The right answering strategy preserves your privacy, charms your interviewer, and earns his or her respect at the same time).

There’s enough copywriting magic here to float a battleship.

All-right… now it’s your turn… who’s you’re all-time favorite copywriter, and why?

Sound off in the comments box below…