Pushing Through The Dip For Copywriters
A couple days ago I got some really bad news…
First, a little background.
During my first year of working as a direct response copywriter with Agora Financial, I loved turning out new promos every 3-ish weeks.
Bam, bam, bam. Money, money, money.
But because of the scope of the brand for my latest promo, there have been A LOT of hands and eyes being put on this.
So instead of 3 weeks, this promo is approaching 4 months of work, and may not go out until November. It’s dragging.
Legal won’t let me say anything without a photograph and a receipt attached as proof and I’m dying inside…
So I opted to start a new promo while this all gets sorted out.
And I was super excited for this backend product until they said “let’s shoot for January or February for a launch.”
ANOTHER 3 or 4 MONTHS!
It totally took the wind out of my sails!
At first: I felt angry, and sorry for myself:
“I just want to write COPY. Just let me write. Why do I have to deal with this BUll$#!T?”
But then I Remembered About “The Dip.”
The Dip is a term coined by Seth Godin…
And a curve shape… see image below.
“The Dip” represents an idea, and a curve shape…
It’s that period after the ecstasy and excitement of learning something new, and having all sorts of little bouts of success…
The period where incremental gains have become increasingly difficult and the progress starts to feel like a slog.
It happens to everyone who wants to attain mastery. It is inevitable. And it is the reason why most people FAIL.
The amateur relents in their former passion: “Once it’s not fun anymore, what’s the point?”
Which is the WRONG thought process.
The professional persists.
As Godin put it in his book The Dip…
“Extraordinary benefits accrue to the tiny minority of people who are able to push just a tiny bit longer than most.”
The spoils DO go to the top 1%. And for good reason.
It’s not so much to do with their “secrets” that they keep from the rest of the world…
But more to do with the fact that they are the only ones willing to put up with the BUll$#!T for a very long period of time.
I dunno about you, but I started this game to be a nasty-ass copywriter.
To make “weeping money.”
That is, people’s knees get weak and they involuntarily cry when my sales numbers get pulled up.
So what I’m going to do after this posts, is I’m going to hand write my page of copy for the day, then research a NEW idea to pitch to a THIRD editor and get that shit out as fast as humanly possible.
I’m going to push through the dip…
Because extraordinary benefits accrue to the tiny minority of people who are able to push just a tiny bit longer than most.
If you feel like you’ve experienced The Dip in your journey, I highly recommend you click here to check out Seth Godin’s book, The Dip.
It might be just the kick in the ass you need.
And it’s short! Straight to the point. I read it on a 2-hour plane ride from Baltimore to Delray Beach.
A Reader Sent Me a Great Video To Help Me Through The Dip…
It featured a man named Jocko Willink, a Navy SEAL, and it highlighted his incredible ability to control the frame of his world.
Here’s the video:
Basically, one of Jocko’s subordinates would continually come up to him with problems.
And after listening to him, Jocko would always reply to him, “good.”
One day the guy came to Jocko, told him about his latest problems, then said: “I already know what you’re gonna say…”
“What am I gonna say?” Jocko asked.
“You’re gonna say ‘good.'”
As copywriters, it is our job to take every problem, every objection, every possible element that exists around a promo, product, upsell, offer, etc…
And highlight to our reader the “good.”
“We are in the middle of history’s longest bull market! ”
Good, here’s some of the most explosive stocks I recommend.
“The stock market is crashing!”
Good, here are some safe-havens to protect, and even further grow, your assets.
“There’s terror and riots in the streets!”
Good, while many people will go without, here is a prepper bag full of everything you’ll ever need and it only weighs 6.5 lbs.
Learn how to take responsibility and control of a situation, of the FRAME of the situation, and you wield power most folks would never know to tap into.
Jocko has learned how to tap into this mindset from the Navy SEALs…
And has successfully translated it into the business world.
He, and co-author Leif Babin have written a best selling business and leadership book called Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win
This was one of the very first books I was handed when I walked through the doors of Agora Financial.
It’s key to taking control of your career, and presents you with a brand new, powerful frame.
I recommend you check it out.