Yeah, I’m opinionated.
No bones about it, some things just get my goat.
But I’m usually (not always) fairly level-headed, rational, even diplomatic in how I express the causes that make my knees jerk.
After all, I try very hard to always recall Ben Franklin’s maxim on arguing with your opponents:
“Remember these 4 words – I COULD BE WRONG.”
Sobering and worth keeping in mind.
But back in 1988, while living just outside Boston, MA, there was an editorial in the Globe that totally gored one of my favorite sacred cows.
I honestly have NO recollection of what it said, or the subject, or any of that. All I remember was it lit my fuse.
“I’ll show them…” I thought as fingers flew across the keyboard in savage response.
Didn’t bother to proofread, rewrite, no none of that, no time…
Click Bang Gone off to the “Editor Inbox” black hole it went.
Three days later at o-dark-hundred on Sunday morning my phone rang, rousing me from slumber.
“Hello?”
“Damn straight, you betcha, you nailed it! Thanks!”
Click.
No idea what he meant. But when I grabbed the Sunday morning edition I discovered that my hastily concocted diatribe had achieved premiere status in that day’s “Letters to the Editor” section.
Felt pretty good.
Many years hence, the warm fuzzies of that moment have long faded.
But there was quite the writing lesson to be learned – and I’ve definitely taken it to heart.
WRITE with PASSION.
Long form sales letters absolutely benefit from this. As do websites, landing pages, ads of all kinds.
But I’ve found the optimal medium for this kind of hot-blooded approach is EMAIL.
If I’m stuck for a subject line or a topic, I’ll just brainstorm different ideas / angles until I come across one that totally riles me up… and then write about that.
Get mad about something – rant about some injustice done to your customers, clients, or patients that deserves a hearty shout from the rooftops.
It can make for amazing copy… because you’re writing about something that matters to you.
And if it matters to you, there’s a good chance a bit of that passion will rub off on the reader as well.
– Jack
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