Neil Peart on Writing Limitations (and your copy!)
“People don't realize the limitations of 200 words, and the way they get chiseled down into a song that has to be sung.” ~Neil Peart
Because Neil Peart knew the vastness of language, expression, and interpretation of meaning.
He knew that writing a song was putting an emotion into a box and pairing it with the right situation for the listener to pull interpretation out of.
This is not far from getting people to see and understand what you do on your website.
I mean, yes, you can say, “I’m a coach” or “I’m an OBM” or “I’m a copywriter” or or or…
When you do, you’ve already lost the reader. That’s your first limitation.
There’s nothing there for them to interpret. There’s nothing there for their brains to want to figure out.
And sometimes people can get so carried away with their “200 words” (which is actually a lot less when you’re talking about a short description about what they do, not a bio or about) that they come up with such dreamy descriptions that lose the reader.
When it comes to copywriting a description or title that accurately describes what you do without losing the reader, think simple...but outside the box.
You don’t want to be so dramatic that your copy is unbelievable. You are aiming to pique their interest so they’ll ask for more.
With multipotentialites, it’s a little more tricky to nail YOU, your passions and all the things you’re great at into a one-liner title, but it can be done.
So…
Here is what I do for those clients who aren’t really sure how to express what they do for people:
Identify the main strengths of the owner/brand.
Identify what terms accurately portray those strengths.
Then get creative with the expression of those terms.
Because if you land on a website that says, “I help business owners take back their time by taking IT and automation tasks off their hands”, you either A) won’t know wtf they’re talking about or B) won’t stay around to read.
First, I’d say:
“Spend time going to the soccer games, seeing their faces light up when you surprise them with another vacation, and tap into YOU so you can bring all of your true talents to the clients you serve. (All things that are #1 priority for the business owner)
Because that? Is all you have to worry about any more. (Offers a feeling of relief)
With me on your side, emails, social, and a large chunk of your marketing is OFF your hands. (BIG)I help powerful high-performance earners (self-identification) break free of the minutiae of running a business (relief) so you can focus on the shi*t that matters even more (desire).”
So, if that’s the case, how can we boil this down to something that is less wordy, even more impactful and emotional?
“The bedrock on which high-performing, high-earning professionals build their lives away from their businesses.”
“Be there for them. Because I am here for you.”
And here’s a great time to interject something: Don’t pain over the words. Pain over the emotion. Because you can take your stuff to 10 different copywriters and you’re going to get 10 different ways to say the same thing.
The key is knowing what is important to the people you want to talk to and bringing that forth.
Because if a high-performing bachelor read what I wrote, he’d be like…“NEXT!” And move on to another assistant that understood his thirst for gains and who was speaking that emotion.
So. Do what Neil Peart may or may not have done when it comes to turning 200 words into Hall of Fame music ;) :
Know yourself and what you do.
Know what they want to feel.
I gotchu, babe!
Make your lists.
Play with your lists.
Write and write and write…then RIP THE SHIT out of it until it pulls them in.
So, be okay with writing out the long-form, then dwindling it down to a shorter form (because the magic sauce is in the long shit...trust me)
And as always, if you need help with emails, social, ads, web copy, and/or sales copy, I got you, babe.