That Blank Page

I have a true love-hate relationship with the blank page.

At least two dozen spiral notebooks and legal pads sit unused beside my desk to testify about the hate part.

My eyes pass over them at least once a day. I’m reminded that the blank page is the bad half of an unhealthy relationship; so I look away.

Over decades, I’ve made peace with the fact that blank pages are never the start of a revenue-generating project. I can’t write a beautiful sales letter from the blank page. It’s too overwhelming, honestly.

Doodle

Here’s how to make money from the blank page, though. Rise EARLY. Get alone. Brew your best coffee (bulletproof for me, thank you). Put on talk radio or television and pop open a fresh Evernote.

Put your radar up as you start sipping coffee. Listen for radio or TV ads and begin dissecting them.

What was the opening (hook)? Can you write down 10 better ones.

Can you tell who they’re targeting? Are you able to tell from their product or service ONLY, or is there a real effort in their language to zero in on the prospect? Can you craft the language that makes it a 1-on-1 conversation with empathy and real connection.

Are they agitating the problem AND pitching the solution, or just one of those two? Can you use both PLUS build the bridge for them to use?

Are they stuck at features or do they handle benefits? Surface benefit or deep benefits? Can you get it into the words they are almost too protective of to share. The pain of lost dates to the young adult woman who can’t grow out of her acne. The 32 year old man who looks healthy but has been disappointing his recent partners with unexplained ED.

Look, this is unpaid doodling. I get it.

But it’s also a near endless flow of products and services that will challenge your range. It’s a workout routine for your muscles of influence.

If you did this every morning for one month you’ll leapfrog 80% of the so-called copywriters online. If you do it every morning for six months, you’ll be accepting checks of $20,000+ to write for clients.

Speaking of that type of writing – the paid kind. That is not blank page work. I’ll write about those methods next week.