Copywriting Tips... From A Cat

I once learned one of the most powerful copywriting tips I know from a cat.

Yes, a cat.

Look, let me explain... some Brits down in the town had gone back to England and for whatever reason didn't want to take their cat and dogs with them.

So we had the cat... a 3yo black tomcat. He is a great monster of a thing... sleek, sinuous and jet black with golden eyes. A veritable panther.

No joke... I was worried when we finally allowed him out of the house, we'd be waking up to find half-eaten bullocks draped over fence twixt garden and field, presents from our new feline friend.

This is a cat who ought to carry the name of a hero - Atlas, or Galt, or Achilles, or Hercules. Something tough and manly, even, dare I say... Epic?

But no.

This perfect example of a highly specialised hunter and killing machine, the bane of small innocent birds and mammals for miles around is named...

"Miff".

Now, I don't know about you, but I kinda think this is not the most appropriate name for such an awesome testosterone-filled moggy. Come on, these things have been evolving for millions of years and are perfectly adapted to their art -- hunting and killing.

They're the epitome of savage grace.

And never mind that, there is the small matter of my OWN reputation and image. I'm a tough-talking, tough-looking, ex-bouncer, copywriter and business owner. I have to keep up appearances.

To be taken seriously I have to maintain certain standards, and I suspect standing at the back door in the mornings in my dressing gown calling a falsetto "Mii-iiif" up the garden is perhaps not the best way to approach that.

So, I thought I'd call him something else. Hell, almost ANYTHING is better than "Miff": "Periwinkle", "Higgs", "Boson". All superior names for a superior cat.

But Miff?

He ain't listening (and it doesn't help with Sarah and Imogen laughing at my futile attempts to rename the cat and calling him "Miff" just to spite me).

And the lesson here?

If you want to connect with your prospects, customers, and clients you have to be both talking their language and saying the things they're listening for. In other words, as a copywriter you need to be writing for your audience, not yourself.

Miff wants to hear "Miff", not any of the other stuff.

That *I* prefer to call him "Periwinkle", "Higgs", or "Boson" is irrelevant.

He's Miff, and Miff he's going to stay (although in a definitely not-childish attempt to prove my point, I now call him "Miffwinkle", thus "proving" he likes the "winkle" suffix).

Take this copywriting tip to heart, and I promise, your sales will soar.


----------------------------------------------------
Jon McCulloch is Ireland's top direct response copywriter, and helps thousands of business owners grow their sales and profits with his unique tips and strategies. Visit http://www.jonmcculloch.com now and take just 3 of the FREE direct response copywriting ideas and set them to work for you, and you'll be thrilled by the results.

They've all produced substantially better results for small businesses in the last two years.


EasyPublish this article: http://submityourarticle.com/articles/easypublish.php?art_id=272669