Let’s talk about essential resources for everybody.
Lift A Finger.
A couple weeks ago, I got a FAX from a client for whom I’d done an ad. He wanted my thoughts on replacing the word ‘desperate’ in its headline.
Now, I’m NOT complaining about his request per se. Really, I’m not. He paid his money; it’s my job to re-write, not his. So no gripe about that. But it made me think (again) of the umpteen numbers of questions and requests I do get from Members that they really ought to answer for themselves.
Which made me think of some essential resources everybody ought to own, have handy, and use.
Like a thesaurus. If you look up a word, say, like ‘desperate’, in Roget’s Thesaurus, you find an entire page of alternate words.
The thesaurus I have has no front cover anymore, a red and yellow back cover, and a rubber band holding it together. The copyright page is missing, but it’s old. It’s the same one I had in high school. It has stayed with me since 1970 or 1971. Because it’s important. And useful.
A dictionary’s a good thing to have, too. I have four.
Occasionally I’ll have a talk with somebody who did a mailing and got poor results. When I ask how many of the people it was sent to he called, to interview and try to find out what was wrong, he’ll look at me like an owl. Head cocked. Quizzical look. I wonder why that never occurs to anybody.
Years ago, I saw a seminar exercise, later copied it. Proof there’s never a lack of opportunity thanks to others lack of initiative.
Took a newspaper, looked under DOGS WANTED and under DOGS FOR SALE. Made three phone calls. Sold a dog from DOGS FOR SALE to a DOGS WANTED advertiser. Neither advertiser ever bothered to look in the other column, pick up the phone, lift a finger. Sigh.
Author Info: Dan Kennedy is internationally recognized as the 'Millionaire Maker,' helping people in just about every category of business turn their ideas into fortunes. Dan's "No B.S." approach is refreshing amidst a world of small business marketing hype and enriches those who act on his advice. 
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
The use of a dictionary and thesaurus seems outdated in the digital age but falls into your small hinges swing big doors principal. They’re an instant competitive advantage over copywriters who feel they don’t need one.
TJH
I love everything you write, and this post sums up a feeling that has been welling up inside me for the last couple of weeks! We really have to do the very best we can do. Period. And it really isn’t that hard, and the effort always pays off in one way or another. Make the call. Look it up. Be detail-oriented and a self-starter, right? I think that’s what we used to call it …
I still use my thesaurus from high school, too!
When I was 14, I received a Thesaurus as a gift. I still use it today. I have four others plus one online. My copywriting checklist includes this…”is the copy vivid?” If you want vivid writing to make people pull out a credit card and send you money, a Thesaurus is a must.
I recently wrote a letter for a roofing company…here’s a vivid question…
Do you want water suddenly cascading into your living room?
Graham Chapman and John Cleese, original members of Monty Python, used to write sketches together. When they were stuck, they got a Thesaurus out. Listen to or watch the dead parrot sketch or the cheese shop sketch and you’ll see what I mean. These are both on YouTube.
A great reminder (or KITA) for most of us. Whether writing copy for ourselves or for clients, a thesaurus is an essential tool (not unlike a pen, paper, computer, etc.).
The very act of leafing through a Thesaurus in search of alternatives opens your mind to a plethora of new words along the way. Sure beats the narrow focus of “Googling”.
Pity too, that so many businesses fear customer contact with a mindset that thinks
“bothersome pitchman” rather than “welcomed problem solver”.
Might inspire me to create a new poster graphic for over my desk that says: “Lift A Finger…NOW!”.
Fantastic Bill. It just goes to show you dont have to be the owner of the product to make the money…. Many people make a lot of money being the matchmaker or tollbooth.
Thesaurus… kind of sounds like one of dem creatures from The Lost World? Is that a fiction book? or like a magazine like People?
Dictionary… never heard of it, I’ll look for it in the aisle next to the Enquirer. Do they cover the latest on Heidi Montag’s plastic surgery in that dere Dictionary?
… repeating words on your articles or copy shows your limited capacity for the language. A thesaurus is a fantastic tool to help you master the art of communication. Use it!
You mean there are people who write without a thesaurus handy? I’ve moved from paper to the electronic online version since most of my writing is now done at the keyboard. Yet my old 1970s paperback edition is still around here somewhere.
I enjoyed your blog. Thanks.
Having basic tools to hand and using them is simply a must.
Using the resources in front of you and observing the obvious are skills that we each need to learn and then utilize. I find that most of the solutions I am looking for are sitting right there in front of me, if only I can observe them.