Today I decided I am sick of cleaning my home and wanted to outsource the task.
However, I was very wary.
After my loyal amazing cleaner decided to ditch me for another gig, (my fault for traveling too much), I felt like I was giving charity to everyone who stepped foot in my house – they were all THAT bad.
So when I woke up today and decided that this house IS getting cleaned and NOT by me, I realized what had to be done.
I had to use basic copywriting principles in my everyday life to communicate to someone what I wanted them to do, and how i wanted them to do it.
My subject line (to a local mailing list) was:
COULD YOU WIN THE CLEANING OLYMPICS?
This had a touch of humor, and yet was clearly evident that I am seeking talent. (and I know you may have just lost your job at intel, but that does not make you a great cleaner). It generated a LOT of replies, so now I can try people out and decide who gets the Gold.
The quick point I want to make is that I have recently considered copy in almost all aspects of my everyday life. Not only my online life, and you should too.
Start thinking about this next to you:
- Speak to people on the phone
- Speaking to significant (even insignificant) others
- Speaking to your children
- Potential clients.
Examples:
1. You ask your child to throw out the garbage and he/she complains:
Not so Great:Too bad, everyone has to help out around here, just do it and be quiet
The copywriter says: “Come on friend throw away that frown and slap on a wide grin. Why? Because you’re going to get to go outside. Do you realize how many people don’t get to breathe real air? Think of all the people in the world who right now are in hospital laying on a hospital bed. Not only can they not go out and breathe fresh air they can’t throw out the trash. So let’s celebrate. Let’s breathe every cubic square centimeter of the fresh air into your lungs (with that wide smirk placed firmly on your face) and let’s be done with the trash and have a nice big empty can to put all our waste-in until the next time”
They may roll your eyes, but the positivity will be infectious and will get them thinking!
2. You want to provide someone with unsolicited feedback (this comes to mind as I just learned this lesson with my brother)
Not so Great: What I sent my brother: “THIS COPY IS BORING” (I was just ASKING him to be defensive
The copywriter says: Consider being more conversational; you could say something like, “How do you feel about this section?” and first get a gist of their goals that they want to achieve and then work from there.
3. Someone asks how you are feeling and they are not your best friend, spouse, parent. (or even so)
Not so Great: “I Could be better”, “Fine”, “Ok”
The copywriter says: You’re always feeling great thank you. Whenever anybody asks you how you are you are always something positive even when you’re not. If you feel bad and someone asks how are you don’t respond with “you don’t want to know” or worse with venom like “what does it matter to you?”. Instead say “I am getting better” (or if you’re really bad say “I have been better”). And if you are just “good” don’t say good that’s boring, say you are “absolutely outrageously fantastic.” Do it. Compare how you feel and how the other persons respond to “good” as opposed to “absolutely outrageously fantastic”. And of course, always ask them how they are as well.
I would LOVE to add to this list, but I have to go now. Do you have any examples to share?
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