Gary Halbert's market research secret weapon

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
― Annie Dillard

It’s been said to write interesting, a writer must live interesting.

Which is just as true about copy as it is the so-called “creative” writing endeavors.

This is what Gary Halbert meant by “marketing by walking around”. Going out into the real world and seeing how your market lives and acts in the “wild”.

The truth is, you’ve probably learned way more about human nature from your lived experience then you have from any copywriting book.

At least I know that’s true for me.

Because I’ve met all types of people on this earth.

From C-Level execs running major corporations like Comcast… to stinky bums living on the banks of Big Bidwell Creek.

And I can tell you, they are much the same.

Sure they have different cultures. Different slang. Different points of reference.

But at the root?

At the root, we all came from the same beginning…

And we’re all headed to the same end.

Which is why a copywriter’s most powerful superpower isn’t persuasion or research or knowing how to link words together.

It’s empathy.

It’s being able to dive into your own dark n’ dirty emotions.

Because if you’re unable to touch those emotions in yourself (the grief the pain the pride the anger the jealousy the resentment the greed…) then you’ll never be able to reach out and touch them in someone else.

That doesn’t mean you can project your own emotions onto your market.

You still need to do the hard work of digging up all the facts.

But facts don’t sell.

Emotions do.

And, unless you’re a sociopath, you have all the human emotions coursing right under your skin.

Use it to your advantage.

If you’d prefer I do it for you, go here and fill out the form:

https://www.copybymccune.com

In the meantime, go live an interesting life. Talk to a stranger. Make a new friend.

You never know what will come of it.

Tyler McCune

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