Hey there, it’s really cool of you to drop in like this but I’ve basically shut down this blog to pursue bigger and better things. Feel free to look me up at http://www.courtneyhoude.com and I’ll get back to you a.s.a.p.

It’s more of a personal blog, but I’ll be posting almost all of my stuff on there from now on. For those of you who loved www.obviouswriting.com when there was daily content and 117 plus articles… thank you.

It served its purpose, got me all the clients I ever needed and helped me grow into the copywriter I am today. Here’s to three years of painful internet marketing.

Cheers!

Again, you can find me at…

http://www.courtneyhoude.com

Ever make an embarrassing mistake then a few days later repeat it all over again?

I have to confess I have. Even though I write full-time, I still make the same “dumb bunny” mistakes over and over again. The difference now is that I catch the worst ones before they get published or mailed. Thank God.

How about you?

I’m sure you’ve done the same.

Maybe you wrote an article or blog post and then came back to read it in a day… and found it riddled with typos. Or maybe you keep on burning your toast every morning. Same difference.

Anyway, here’s my theory about this. I believe we have certain “patterns” or “default settings” we follow without thought. After all, as human beings we’re creatures of habit. And I think this really holds us back at times. Because let’s face it, in writing sales copy or in life… it doesn’t take much to throw your results off track.

Another example of this would be the guy who exercises every day and then “pigs” out all night. He never really gets in shape because his patterns of behavior are holding him back.

You could call it a BOTTLENECK because it’s the narrow point that all of our actions funnel through.

You see, we all have “bottlenecks” in our lives. They’re our “defaults” our “patterns” of behavior and they’re holding us back from being truly great.

And a really simple way to break out of these “patterns” is to simply write them out on index cards and place them near your workplace. Before you do any work (or writing) at all, simply pick them up and read through them.

You’ll find it gets easier to avoid repeating your mistakes again… and all of the sudden the results you’ve been struggling to get… flow naturally.

It’s like a bow and arrow. Your arrow could be sharp, straight and fletched with golden plumes but if your bow is crooked you’re NEVER going to hit your target.

Fix the bow and all of the sudden it feels like something MAGICAL happened…

You hit the target.

To the outside observer it looks like success came instantly or “OVERNIGHT.”

Of the course the truth is a little harder to accept. Because all the luck and practice in the world won’t bring you success overnight if you’re shooting with a broken bow.

Your obvious friend,

Courtney James
Obvious

P.S. Does any of this make sense to you? Let me know what you think and leave a comment below if it pleases you.

If you’re interested in getting more sales then here’s a friendly little tip you can act on today.

And you might want to take it to heart.

Why?

Because I didn’t and it was a big mistake.

You see, I did things the hard way before I discovered the easy way to get more clients and more sales…

In fact, my first business bombed for months…. I tried everything from online ads, to picking up the phone and had little or no results.

It was like PULLING TEETH WITH A FORK!

Honestly, it was TORTURE until I discovered the easy way to sell.

You see, it’s not about advertising or writing ten blog posts a week… although that sure does help… it’s about being friendly and getting personal.

It’s about slowly building relationships with people you sincerely want to work with and help.

It’s about being a great human being to interact with.

And if you don’t get that simple little fact then all the marketing in the world will fail you…

Still, it’s easier than you think.

And if I had to recommend a book that teaches this subtle art then I’d say pick up “How To Win Friends And Influence People” because it’s quite possibly the most important book you’ll ever study on human behavior.

Now… I know what you’re thinking… this guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about if he’ll recommend a dusty old out-of-date book like that… but you’d be wrong.

Because I’ve bought, read, underlined and applied most of the classic marketing books…

And I can say with confidence: The advice in Dale Carnegie’s book is as good as it gets. And it has the added benefit of being practical and actionable too.

Frankly, if I was forced to own one book (and one book only) this might be the one. I know it’s a bit dated and quaint… but you really don’t understand how powerful this book is until you start to apply a very small bit of it.

This book turns enemies into friends. Prospects into customers.

It’s a dating manual, a life guide, and a sales book all wrapped into one. Because the one skill that you’ll find in every inch of human activity will always be human behavior.

And being friendly and influential will always be the most valuable skill you will ever have.

Now I could recommend a few dozen great books on writing persuasive sales copy, mind control, NLP, or hypnosis. And I could tell you about a few obscure books I’ve found after three years of digging.

BUT it won’t help you one bit if you don’t apply the simple principles gifted by Dale Carnegie in “How To Win Friends And Influence People.”

Grab a copy at your local book store. It should be there… Even the small shops here generally have a copy lying around somewhere and I live in Northern Ontario!

Just a humble recommendation from your obvious friend,

Courtney James
The Obvious Writer
Author of countless articles on sales writing,
persuasion and marketing.

P.S. Intuitively you already know this… It doesn’t matter whether you’re blogging, using Twitter, or writing ads… it all comes down to stepping into the other person’s shoes and giving them what they already want.

P.P.S. And if you want is more sales but you don’t have the time to write your own sales copy…. then… you should check out: The Most Frequently Asked Questions About Getting More Sales… right here.

If you’ve ever had to write your own copy then you’ll enjoy this collection of copywriting quotes from The Robert Collier Letterbook.

(Even if you’ve already read this gem of a book.)

I know they’ve been friends of mine on my own personal journey to wealth and abundance. And I’d like to share them with you.

“Study your reader first– your product second. If you understand his reactions, and present those phases or your product that relate to his needs, then you cannot help but write a good letter.”

“It’s a matter of bait, that’s all.”
“How can you tie up the thing you have to offer with that bait?”

“Before you put pen to paper, before you ring for your stenographer, decide in your own mind what effect you want to produce on your reader– what feeling you must arouse in him.”

“When it is action you want, go after the emotions every time!”

“What is persuasion? Nothing but finding the motive that will impel your reader to do as you wish, then stirring it to the point where it is stronger than his inertia, or his economical tendencies.”

“There are only two reasons why your reader will do as you tell him to do in your letter. The first is that you made him want something so badly that of his own ertia he reached out for your order card to get it. The other is that you have aroused in him the fear that he will lose something worth while if he does not do as you say.”

Compare this last quote to Napoleon Bonaparte’s:

“Men are moved by two levers, fear and self interest.”

But here’s another Collier power quote:

“The one thing that should always be borne in mind is that it is not merchandise you are selling, but human nature, human reactions.”

But in the end:

“It all comes back to the point we made in the beginning…”

“It’s a matter of bait, that’s all.”

According to Robert Collier himself.

Now, writing copy that sells is no easy task but it helps to keep it all in perspective. This is why I love the Collier Book. It holds a special place in my heart and it truly can be called “The Copywriter’s Bible.”

Your obvious friend,

Courtney James
The Obvious Writer

P.S. I really recommend you buy an actual book and not a digital copy. Because I’ve bought both and the price is practically the same. And the digital copy really sucks because you have to print it out to be able to read it without straining your eyes.

P.P.S. UPDATE: If you’re interested in getting more sales then I recently added a FAQs section about how to get more sales. It also explains everything you need to know if you’d like to work with me personally. Here’s the link: FAQs About Getting More Sales.

Just a thought.

So I get ready to go for a walk last night… it’s raining which is fine with me.

I just need the exercise because I’ve been getting a little chubby lately. Gotta watch that.

Like usual… I put on my ipod and listen to Gary Halbert speak about copywriting… it’s almost like Gary’s a dearly missed uncle. Because Gary’s been in my life for about three years now so he kind of feels like family even though I never met the guy in person.

And I head out…

It’s peaceful. A little muggy out and I’m happy.

There’s puddles everywhere like mirrors on the ground… everything’s blissful… when I hear an engine rev-up and…

SPLOOOOOOOSH-SPLASHHH!

Yeah, some jerk thought it would be funny to give me a shower.

Hilaaarrrrious.

And yes I was pissed off at the time but I figured I might as well continue my walk… after all… it’s just water. Even though it was in my ears and eyes and I was a little worried that my ipod would now electrocute my brain.

I simply refused to let it bother me– at first.

So on my way back it never occurred to me that another bleeep-hole would…

Oh no… you didn’t…

Yes, they did.

SPLOOOOSHHHHH–SPLASHHH!

AGAIN! Holy mother of pearl!

Same bloody puddle!!! What kind of world do we live in?

Yeah, completely different car. Completely different jerk. Same old primitive monkey behavior.

Maybe this is why Eugene Schwartz (The ol’ persuasive genius himself) said to speak to the “chimpanzee brain” when selling.

Because let’s face it, we’re monkeys and most of us behave like it too.

Your obvious friend,

Courtney James
The Obvious Writer

P.S. And if you ever do reach these people on a logical level then maybe you could ask them why it’s so funny to soak a pedestrian with four hundred dollars of electronics on them and an inner ear problem because I’m still wondering why court cases and health bills are funny?

P.P.S. Yes, I’m a little bitter still. Wouldn’t you be? But today is a new day and I just had to vent. Thank you for listening… it’s really cool of you.

And listen– If you’re interested in getting more sales then I recently added a section about how to get more sales. It also explains everything you need to know if you’d like to work with me personally. Here’s the link: FAQs About Getting More Sales.

Have you heard of this guy — Ben Settle?

He’s been ROCKIN’ the copywriting and marketing world for years now and I really think you need to get on this guy’s mailing list.

Man, he’s written for Ken McKarthy, Michael Senoff and more marketing big-wigs than I can remember…

Now, I personally have 137 reasons why you should get your butt on Ben’s mailing list…

Seriously 137 reasons.

Because today I was doing some “house cleaning” in my e-mail inbox and realized that I had actually read 137 e-mail messages from Ben Settle alone.

I saved them in a little folder and I read them all. Actually, I’ve read a few more than once.

Of course, these are only the ones I kept so I don’t really know how many of his sales, marketing, and copywriting tips I’ve read. But the point is I’ve read approximately 300 pages of Ben’s “advertising” and I’m still not sick of him.

His advice is timely, useful and always relevant. Scratch that.

He’s “ahead of the curve” as the Joker would say.

BUT MORE IMPORTANT…

He’s entertaining as hell.

Now you can get to Ben’s site right here at http://www.bensettle.com. I believe he calls it “Crackerjack Selling” now (I barely visit it these days because he sends his posts straight to my mail box and I love the convenience.)

Again… that’s http://www.bensettle.com and if you’re into business, marketing, selling or even copywriting then I suggest you go an beg Ben to let you on his mailing list.

Actually, it’s kind of automatic. Just put your name and e-mail address in the little box on the upper right hand of his blog.

Oh… and don’t be a dork. Use your real name and your primary e-mail address. It’s worth it.

http://www.bensettle.com

You rock Ben!

Your obvious friend,

Courtney James
The Obvious Writer

P.S. In case you’re wondering, I don’t make any money recommending Ben Settle but I confess… after reading so darn many of his e-mail tips I may be a little brainwashed. But so what? I’ll happily drink Ben’s Kool-Aid if he decides to mail me a packet or two.

Which reminds me! My mailing address has changed but I haven’t updated it yet because I’m not really sure what it is here right now. So feel free to keep e-mailing me at cjhoude@yahoo.com until I update it. Sorry about that.

I’m going to give you a $535 website template FREE OF CHARGE.

You don’t even have to OPT-IN.

Just scroll down to the bottom of this post and steal the whole darn thing by right clicking and choosing “save as”.

It’s that easy.

Now, it’s coded in HTML and CSS so it’s really easy to customize if you know a little bit about that. But if you don’t have those skills it shouldn’t be too hard to bribe some teenage kid with some pizza and get him to put it up for you.

I’ve used it myself.

So it actually works.

You see, not many people know this but I actually started out life as a designer.

Strangely enough, I went through three years of Graphic Design (which I rocked at) and then went on to learn web-design (you wouldn’t know it) and ran my own one man small-town design agency.

I made my living as a web-designer before templates got so darn easy to find… These days I wouldn’t even think of designing a web page if I could find a free template but back then I’d charge $535 dollars for a four page web-site.

However, I’ve had a hard time finding simple templates for sales letter websites. It’s almost as though no one wants to give these away free.

So I ended up coding and designing one for my own personal use a while back and I thought you’d appreciate it if I gave you this template too.

It’s just my way of thanking you for putting up with me… and if I found useful then I’m sure you will too.

And it’s free of course. No charge.

Heck… you can even give or sell it to other people if you find someone willing to pay you. I don’t really care because I intend to alter it for my own use anyway.

Just use it.

Now, it’s four pages and it would have cost you $535 dollar value if you asked me to design it for you, but because you didn’t– IT’S FREE

Here’s what you get:

• The sales letter (It’s a simple one column html and css layout)
• The order form page (It’s a simple one so you may want to use your own)
• The thank you page (This would be a great place for an upsell)
• The download page (Also great place to sell another product)

And you can download the whole folder right here with NO OPT-IN

Let me know what you think.

Your obvious friend,

Courtney James
Obvious Writer

P.S. Actually, there is one little catch. If you download it please let me know what you think. You don’t have to give me a testimonial… just let me know what you think by leaving a comment on this post.

If you’re in business or marketing then this simple 15 minute change can multiply your income by as much as seven times.

Mind you… if I multiplied my income by seven times you’d still need a microscope to see it! However, you may be in position to take advantage of this simple little insight.

So what the heck am I talking about?

Well, if you’ve read the marketing books and listened to the gurus then you know they have a simple answer for everything.

When in doubt… test!

A test is simply an experiment in results. The key is to measure them and to only test for big differences.

For instance, you might write two headlines and measure which one pulls in more visitors for your blog.

Or you might measure the amount of inquiries you’re getting from two almost identical classified ads with different contact methods.

All in all… It really sounds pretty boring, but let me tell you something:

It isn’t by far!

And I can give you a great example of a test that thrilled me. I was so excited I almost couldn’t sleep. Heck, my girlfriend was laying there in bed behind me… waiting for me… and here I was measuring the results of two headlines I’d written for a blog post.

One headline read:

“16 Spicy Tweets For Hotshot Marketers”

The other headline read:

“16 Ways To Write A Tweet”

One of those headlines pulled 6 clicks in about 12 hours. The other headline pulled 42 clicks in less than two hours and after reposting it… IT PULLED 109 CLICKS!

Not to mention the “retweets”. Seven people “retweeted” my blog post to their followers on Twitter! Seven… and this post is still pulling.

So, can you guess which headline pulled in those hundred visitors and which headline fizzled out and only pulled in 6?

Guess!

Then check out this little picture of my bit.ly stats…

Seriously, check this out:

Hmmm…

Well, I can’t blame you if you guessed wrong because I really thought: “16 Spicy Tweets For Hotshot marketers” would pull… It just sounded fancy and cool to me.

But… I was shocked when the simplest description of my blog post: “16 Ways To Write A Tweet” pulled seven times more visitors into my blog!

Can you imagine?

I mean, really think about this. If you ran an ad in your local paper (Let’s pretend you have a commercial cleaning business) and each customer was worth about two hundred dollars a month to you. Let’s say you’re pulling in three solid customers a month running your ads then all of the sudden… with one little change you pulled in 21! The same ratio (seven times) as my simple little headline change.

If you were making $600 in sales a month… now you’re making $4200 extra a month! And of course, in a business like cleaning your customers often sign in to year long contracts with you. So in reality you’re making: $50,400 dollars extra in the span of a single year. And this is on top of your existing client base!

Not bad eh?

All because you changed the headline of your ad and tested the results.

But the funny thing is… no one does this.

I’ve tried to get clients in my hometown by explaining this simple principle to them. They just don’t get it. They’d rather spend a thousand bucks a month running ads that simply aren’t getting the results they could be with a few simple tweaks. And the really sad part is that almost nobody measures their results.

It’s a weird world we live in.

And this is why I know my future is secure.

Because “In the land of the blind men the one-eyed man is king.”

Something to think about.

If you enjoyed this article then your followers will too. Simply click the little green “retweet” button at the bottom of this post and share it with them. Break up their dreary day.

Your obvious friend,

Courtney James
A.K.A. Obvious Writer

Talk about funky…

Here I was sitting on the crapper playing “Galaga” on my cell phone when there was a rap-tap-tap on my door.

I thought it was my landlord with my new fridge because I’d been living off of bread (and pop-tarts I stole from my girlfriend) since I moved into this place but….

When I pulled up my pants it was the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Two of them.

Now… I’m not some religious fruitcake but I do believe in tolerance and learning from everyone I meet.

So I was very patient and I’m glad because these people are better salesman then you’d believe.

By the time they’d left I was wondering where to sign-up… of course… being the obsessed marketer that I am… I was also wondering how I could steal their techniques for my own use.

So I wrote their “system” down. Check this out. Imagine how well this would work for a small business. The beauty of it is simplicity. And the cool part is that much of this works in online marketing too.

Here it is…

The 6-Step Jehovah’s Witness Selling System:

1. Knock on doors:

They knock on your door.

Most salesmen don’t even get this far but the Jehovah’s are like woodpeckers on crack. They introduce themselves and present a clean and professional appearance. They’re friendly and smiling. More than I can say about myself.

2. Don’t sell:

They ask to “talk” to you. Notice this, they don’t try to convert you on the first visit. They simply ask to speak with you.

3. Give free stuff away:

They give you a nice printed booklet.

“There’s an article in here you might like.” He points to the article titled: “Do All Religions Worship The Same God?”

Hmmm… this is an easy in. I think I’m going to actually read this article the next time I’m on the crapper.

(NOTE: No doubt this gift also induces the psychological principle of reciprocity.)

4. Build your list:

“Can I have your name?” he asks. I give it to him and he writes it down. He comments on how interesting the name is… being that my name is a girls name and I’m a guy.

5. Follow up:

“I’ll be stopping by in a month to talk with you again.” He informs me. Interesting. He didn’t really ask but I’m not inclined to argue because they’ve been so nice to me.

6. Don’t overstay your welcome:

They leave on a cheerful note and start banging on my neighbors door while I consider converting to Jehovah just to be a better marketer.

Now… think about this a bit.

They didn’t sell me anything. They didn’t ask me for anything at all. In fact… all they did do was give me some literature and mention they’d be by again to talk. Not bad.

Talking isn’t scary. I have nothing to lose… I think.

Either way, it reminded me of my first year in business. When I was a shy little guy fresh out of college.

I was trying to sell over the phone and at seminars but I was horrible at it. Nobody wanted anything to do with me at all. If only I’d been a Jehovah’s Witness… I’d already have known there’s an easier way to sell.

I mean, look at it this way… I was selling websites and graphic design. It’s a hell of an easier sale than selling an invisible god to pagans, right?

And I think if I was ever to sell again… I’d use the Jehovah approach.

Something to ponder.

Your obvious friend,

Courtney James
The Obvious Writer

P.S. Reminds me of Frank Bettger’s book “How I Raised Myself From Failure To Success In Selling”. He maintained that there were really two sales to be made. 1. Selling the interview. 2. Selling the actual product. If you’re into business and marketing it’s one of the better books on selling and it’s an easy read.

Hey, If you’re interested in writing your own ads, sales letter or persuasive content then here’s some resources you really need to hide from the competition.

Let me know what you think by leaving a comment today:

The Most Valuable Website In The World– Gary Halbert
(Ugly site… million dollar info.)
www.thegaryhalbertletter.com

Advice From The World’s Greatest Copywriter– Gary Bencivenga
(You’d have to be a dumb-head to ignore this.)
http://bencivengabullets.com

Top-flight Million Dollar Writing Advice– Clayton Makepeace
(One of the world’s greatest persuasive writers reveals his secrets.)
www.makepeacetotalpackage.com

Crackerjack Selling Secrets– Ben Settle
(The only e-mail I read immediately when I check my inbox are Ben’s selling and copywriting tips– seriously.)
http://bensettle.com/blog

Classic Copywriting Advice– Ryan Healy
(Great advice. Killer writer.)
http://www.ryanhealy.com

Sweet Articles Here– John Angelache
(Absolutely love John’s writing style.)
http://www.johnanghelache.com/

Check-Out Dan’s Archives For Great Marketing Advice– Doberman Dan
(He worked with Gary Halbert and gives seriously wicked advice.)
http://dobermandan.com

A Treasure Trove For Copywriters and Info Marketers– Lawrence Bernstein
(A fresh breath of air for writers and advertising fanatics.)
http://www.infomarketingblog.com

A-Level Persuasive Writing Gold– Doug D’Anna
(This guy is at the top of his game.)
http://www.dougdanna.com

Massive Collection of Free Interviews– Michael Senoff
(Michael is marketing. He’s seriously the king of marketing interviews.)
http://www.hardtofindseminars.com

And that my friend is a valuable list of free resources.

Add your own by leaving a comment and your most valuable finds. Let’s build a killer list!

Your obvious friend,

Courtney James
The Obvious Writer

P.S. Hey, I’d love to visit your links. Drop me a line anytime or leave a comment with a few of your finds. That would be amazing.