mentoring

I have done some client work over the past 14 years, just to make sure I wouldn't lose my touch. However, when all of these clients came to me, it was their idea, not mine.

It would appear I have not lost my touch, to say the least. Three days ago, I got the results of a sales campaign I had written for a very famous person in the marketing and real estate business. You would know his name instantly but, for personal reasons, I think it's best I keep his identity confidential.

In any case, the spreadsheet (Lord, I hate those things!) he sent me illustrated the copywriting I did for him pulled in 6-1/2 times MORE MONEY than anything written by any other copywriter he has ever hired. By the way, he's a multi-millionaire so he does have the money to hire the "creme de la creme" of copywriters in the entire world.

I want to tell you about the last time I actively solicited for clients. I was living in Key West and informed the readers of my newsletter that, if they were willing to pay my fee ($15,000 upfront and 5% of the backend sales my efforts produced) I would pay all their expenses to fly to Key West and put them up in a hotel at my expense, while we discussed their project. I also told them if they did this, they didn't have to guarantee they would become a client of mine... but... they at least had to be a "for real" prospect to whom price would not be a concern.

Many of those people did become clients. And a few did not. But there was one guy I especially remember. Why? Because, in my opinion, he was guilty of fraud. After I flew him to Key West, put him up in the best hotel, and discussed his project at length with him, he said, "Everything sounds great... but... I think $15,000 for your upfront fee is too much to pay you."

I did everything I could to hold onto my temper but, what I really wanted to do was leap across the table we were sitting at, wrap my hands around his neck, lift him up off his chair and in the air, choking him until his entire body was shaking and his legs and feet were dancing around like he was doing the "Funky Chicken".