The Best Lesson I Ever Learned in Copywriting

There are hundreds and hundreds of book, podcasts, and webinars on copywriting, and I’ve gained as much knowledge as possible from as many as I could get my hands on.

But the single best lesson I ever learned came from Joe Ades–who was the undisputed best salesman in the world.

JoeAdes

 

Joe used to sell $5 potato peelers on the street, and even though he was competing with all the millions of stores in New York City, many of them with massive advertising budgets, luxurious storefronts, and expensive websites… he made millions of dollars.

(That’s over 200,000 $5 potato peelers.)

He sold these things in droves, and it didn’t require SEO, online ads, or anything else that most entrepreneurs spend their money on these days.

Until his passing in 2009, Joe used only one thing: the right words.

The right words are all it takes to turn a stranger on the street into a customer. It works in person, and it works online.

I’ve held on to that philosophy, making sure that I never get sucked into the flashy new trends in digital marketing, keeping my eye on the one thing that makes a sale happen, and honing that skill every day.

I call it “The Cardboard Box” philosophy, and it’s turned some of my clients into millionaires.