Is Copywriting the Same as Selling?
So what do you think? Is copywriting just another side of the selling coin?
The trouble is that nobody really wants to be a salesman. The stereotype isn’t one we all aspire to be. Somehow, salesmanship has come to be synonomous with hype and BS. We think of them as sneaky, out for nothing more than your money, not really interested in whether what they’re selling is actually any good, and even less interested in whether it’s any good for you.
Yet copywriting has a totally different image. This is something to be desired. Everybody wants to be a great copywriter. It’s an ‘art form’ for goodness sake. The top copywriters can charge as much as they want for their services. But aren’t they just salesman? Worse than that - aren’t they just salesmen who hide behind the written word?
Now don’t get me wrong. Right now, learning copywriting is my number one priority. (and yes, if you’re reading this, you’ve already realised that I need to learn it pretty damn quick, no need to point it out). But I don’t want to be a salesman (or in my case saleswoman). See, I don’t like ’sales’ people.
Nobody does. They stalk you. You go into a store and they’re all over you like a rash. How the heck can you enjoy the shopping experience with someone hanging round, watching your every move, pointing out the benefits of why X is better than Y (and you know the main benefit is in the size of the commission!), looking at you with disgust if you happen to cast your eyes over towards the ‘bargain’ counter.
Unfortunately the ‘offline’, ‘real world’ stereotype salesman image, has made us cringe at the thought of becoming that stereotype. And why? Because we don’t want our prospects to view us as greedy, selfish, out for the sale at all costs.
So instead we turn to the much more caring, customer focused instead of sales focused, copywriter. But is the copywriter nothing more than a well disguised salesman in sheep’s clothing?
Perish the thought! Here’s someone who isn’t ’selling’ anything. They’re just telling us a story, ah, but what a story. Surely a Pulitzer prize winning novel couldn’t have you turning the pages as quickly!
And by the time you get to the end, well so what if you’ve never even heard of whatever it is they’re talking about, you know you need it anyway. How could you possibly live without it? You’re sold, without being hounded, without being stalked, without being pestered, without having your experience ruined. In fact, you’ve had the best ’shopping’ experience of your life, and not a salesman in sight. That’s what makes it so special.
So give me a copywriter and leave me to enjoy my shopping in peace, thank you.
Tags: copywriting, selling
