David Deutsch

The "secrets" of my success... 1. Starting at Ogilvy and getting a first-class introduction to "Madison Avenue" ad agency advertising (it's where I learned to balance great creativity with great salesmanship) 2. Working on direct response for super-savvy clients like Boardroom/Bottom Line, Rodale, Agora, Procter & Gamble, and so many others — and constantly seeing the results of my efforts 3. Teaming up with great writers and seeing how they work, getting their critiques, and picking their brains — including Jim Rutz, Jim Punkre, Dan Rosenthal, and John Carlton 4. Competing against great writers, which forced me to constantly up my game 5. Working on many different types of projects, from traditional radio and TV commercials and print ads to direct mail, infomercials, VSLs, online ads, and online sales pages (not to mention a few jingles) 6. Working on an incredibly wide variety of products and services — from toilet cleaner and laundry detergent to industrial o-rings to $20,000 high-end seminars 7. Getting exposure to hundreds of different markets and niches, where I learned the best practices of each 8. Having been at this for awhile

@ItsKieranDrew Great point, Kieran. There are niches I love today that I never would have "chosen" when I started out. Like golf. I grew up in NYC. Nobody golfs in NYC.

the irony about trying to 'find a niche' is most people end up limiting themselves, so never carve out their own niche over time. Follow your curiosity and have a little faith.

@Sirpbobo1 Your welcome. Thanks for the comments.

@ddeutsch Thanks for the article.

Find a niche and specialize in it, they say. Not so fast, I say. I shudder to think what I would have missed out on if I hadn't worked with so many different companies in so many different niches... All the smart and talented people I met... the many exciting (and profitable) opportunities that opened up for me, the many techniques I was able to take from one industry to another... And most importantly, all the sharpening of my thinking and copywriting skills that was only possible because of the endless variety of whetstones I got to hone myself against. If you want to find out more about what I saw, experienced, and learned, I just wrote an article about it. Link is in the first reply...

@Sirpbobo1 Thanks!

@ddeutsch Awesome stuff David.

Thanks, Nwachukwu. I'm not sure it's a niche so much as a description of who you are and what you do for whom. High ticket clinics would be a client niche. Type of clinic (chiro, medical, dental) and size and georgraphic location would narrow it even further. Specializing in lead conversion, rather than lead generation would further narrow the niche.

@ddeutsch I read the masterpiece. 🙌🏾 I'm currently connered, aiming for quick mastery, with a highly specialised niche. 'Direct Response Copywriter for High-Ticket Clinics | Turning Ad Traffic & Inquiries into Booked Consultations and Paying Patients.' What do you think, sir Deutsch?

@AndrewWriteCopy Good way to put it. Very sparsely populated niche that: good, effective writing.

@ddeutsch Yes, I've always said that my skill set is my niche rather than any market.

@ThMrSmpl Thanks, Alex. Ha! I forgot that word was in there.

@ddeutsch Great article! I found myself nodding a lot! I also learned a new word. Transubstantiation. :))

@ThMrSmpl Exactly! Thanks for sharing that.

@ddeutsch The same principle applied in my teaching life. I've taught all ages and in various circumstances. I believe it made me a better teacher.

@TheCopyTitan @AndrewWriteCopy Lol... great minds bulletize alike.

@ddeutsch @AndrewWriteCopy "If you can write good bullets, you can write good copy. If you can write great bullets, you can write great copy." That's exactly what Andrew said! And he delivered a masterclass.

If you want to write bullets that sell... Then tomorrow at 3pm UK time @TheCopyTitan is hosting me in his Skool group for a workshop about just that. I'll cover the complete process of bullet-writing from research to more advanced tips and tricks. You'll get everything you need to craft high-converting bullets. So don't miss it!

@AndrewWriteCopy @TheCopyTitan You need... • The secret memory hack that reminds you to always include the power of bullets. (The bullets even write themselves!)

@ddeutsch @TheCopyTitan I realised after I'd written it I should have included a few bullets! And yes, that's exactly what I said in the workshop.

@funnelpunkk Thanks!

@ddeutsch Insightful

I've reviewed and transformed thousands of pieces of copy for hundreds of clients and copywriters I coach. And my advice invariably boils down to… More contrast. More contrast with what their competitors are doing. More contrast with what people mistakenly believe — or are being lied to about. And — perhaps biggest of all — more contrast with how prospects expect to be sold to. As AI perpetuates its epidemic of sameness, contrast begets an ever more powerful advantage.

@AndrewWriteCopy I repeat the immortal words of Steve Martin: "Be so good they can't ignore you."

Quick Marketing Challenge A new copywriter asks you: “How do I get my first client?” What do you tell them?

@poisondart14 Thanks, Colin.

@ddeutsch I love this idea, David - "...more contrast with how prospects expect to be sold to." There's an awful lot in this.

@Ifekaego1 Thanks, Dera!

@ddeutsch Probably the best copy advice on the internet right now

@luluneverstops So true that things only have meaning relationally. We say "it's hot" but only in relation to the very limited temperature range of our planet. Compared to the sun, it's freezing!

yeah contrast works because meaning itself is relational. wealth feels rich relative to scarcity. speed feels fast relative to slowness. truth feels sharp relative to distortion. so strong marketing is often less about adding information and more about creating perceptual separation inside the prospect’s mind.

@TheGeoMethod Definitely applies in so many areas!

@ddeutsch This is the whole game. Standing out on a cold call has always come down to the same thing: Say something the prospect wasn't expecting to hear and you've already separated yourself from everyone else who called that day.

@ExcellencyAkac1 You're welcome.

@ddeutsch More Contrast Should be able to stand out with this Thank you

@CoachThisath Words to live by!

@ddeutsch Rule of thumb: If you wanna be outstanding, you gotta stand out.