Stop Leaving Money on the Table: 3 Tips for Setting & Getting Maximum Fees

Set your fees like your life depends on them. Because it does.

Here’s how to make sure you’re not leaving money on the table when working with clients:

1. Relentlessly build your visibility and authority. Your authority and visible expertise create more leverage than you may think when setting and getting fees.

Publish authoritative content. Be seen associating with (and working with) other respected authorities. Collect and showcase great testimonials.

2. Working with the “right” clients has a bigger impact on fee acceptance than almost any other factor.

You can get paid 10X more just by working with a client for whom it makes sense to pay well.

For example:

It doesn’t make much sense for a client to pay a copywriter $500 per email if he’s selling a $7 ebook and only has 100 people on his email list.

On the other hand, a client with half a million subscribers and product funnel with higher-priced upsells, it doesn’t make much sense to pinch pennies when hiring a copywriter.

No, he knows he needs to hire the best copywriter he can find… because weak copy will cost him a FORTUNE.

Adopting a rainmaker mindset can help you negotiate with these potential clients. In this livestream recording, I explain what I mean by that and how you can install the rainmaker mindset to set you up for success:

3. Try to find out the value (financial, emotional, time) of getting the job done right — and the cost (financial, emotional, time) of allowing the job to remain undone or to be done poorly.

Then set your fees boldly, understanding the true value you bring.

How valuable is it to the client to:

  • get the job done well?
  • get it done quickly?
  • find a provider he can trust?
  • begin a relationship that can last over the long term… instead of needing to start working with a new stranger in 30 days?
  • be able to move forward confidently?
  • get outside perspective that can help create even better results?
  • to finally have some peace of mind?

It’s worth a LOT.

Much more than the “sticker price” of the deliverable itself.

There’s a number where the value perceived by the client overlaps with what you feel it’s worth to you to invest your time and brainpower to the project.

Your fees should land somewhere in that overlap.

That’s how you can maximize your revenue per project and feel good about it in the process.

It works whether you quote a set fee or performance-based fee.

Hope this has been helpful. Took me YEARS to learn some of these lessons!

Writing Copy in a Post-Truth World

Back in 2016, Oxford Dictionary made “post-truth” its Word of the Year.

Remember all the hullabaloo about that? In some circles, you’d’ve thought the world was about to end. What ground do we have to stand on if truth doesn’t really matter?

According to Oxford, post-truth refers to the condition in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.'”

According to Donnie, this applies to the opinions and positions of individuals in addition to public opinion.

In other words, facts are less persuasive than stories.

YOUR story (your experience + perspective + wisdom) is what will attract your ideal clients and resonate with them in a way that makes you the obvious solution for their situation.

Not just “facts.”

Keep this in mind next time you ask ChatGPT to help you write something.

Have a productive day!

4 Copywriting Triggers for Instant Sales

There are 4 triggers that instantly turn someone into a buyer:

Trigger 1: His wife says/implies “Bring home X and you’ll get… something special.”

Or on the flip side, “Bring home Y or I’m going to cry.”

Trigger 2: He sees your offer as an easy way to step into the identity he craves or amplify the part of his current identity he’s intensely passionate about.

You can make your reader connect the dots between your offer and his identity on his own…

Or you can make it more obvious.

Not enough copywriters intentionally appeal to identity. Most are too busy thinking about features and benefits.

I encourage you to be one of the elite few that leverage its power.

Trigger 3: When your copy reframes his problem in such a way that he realizes he’s been looking at it all wrong… but now that he understands, the solution (your product/service) is obvious.

Trigger 4: The Stack. There’s a lot of focus on what’s known as a value stack. I’m a fan of the lesser-known desire stack. Both work.

In the following video clip, I discuss these 4 triggers with copywriting expert Maria Lloyd.

Maria has written six-figure email campaigns for more than two dozen brands (you’d definitely recognize more than a few of them), with an average boost to ROI of more than 400 percent.

And now, for a limited time, Maria is teaching copywriters and ambitious entrepreneurs how to create and launch their own six figure email campaigns in her program, Crash Course to Cash.

To be more specific, the deadline is Friday, March 31 at 11:59PM Central.

When you sign up (for as little as $75 down), you’ll get access to a collection of deep-dive trainings to help you sharpen your copywriting sword and leverage those sales triggers we just talked about.

The, starting April 7, you’ll get 8 weeks of live, hands-on training with Maria and her team. She’ll work with you to help you learn the skills you need to write effective email copy AND you’ll actually be working as you go.

There’s no doubt in my mind this will be a life-changing training.

I’m excited to announce that I’ve partnered with Maria to help make Crash Course to Cash even more valuable. When you become part of this first cohort, you’ll also gain access to my Inbox X-Factor course.

Inbox X-Factor gives you 365 days’ worth of email ideas and inspiration… 100+ subject lines… and 10 video training modules revealing my personal strategies for writing emails with maximum selling power.

When I do make it available for sale again, I’m planning to charge between $200 and $300 for it. That’s a value stack for you.

You can’t buy Inbox X-Factor anywhere else right now, so if you’re interested in getting access, sign up here, plus get all the details about Crash Course to Cash.

Have a productive day!

5 Time-Warping Tips to Write Faster & Tune Up Your Actual Intelligence

The biggest benefit I hear people talking about regarding artificial intelligence platforms like ChatGPT is speed.

You can get more done in your workday. Or you can just work less if you finish projects faster.

Pretty big benefit. But AI isn’t the only way to achieve it.

Today I want to share some thoughts on how to write faster using your built-in tech: your actual intelligence.

These tips can make a big difference in your life:

1) Shut off the filter.

Quick tangent. Generative AI tools work don’t really understand your topic. They’re highly trained at predicting what word you’re about to say next, based on all the sentences it’s seen before.

So if you’ve ever played that game where you make a post on social media using only autocomplete and suggestions… it’s basically an updated version of that.

Seriously. Same technology.

Here’s the key: it predicts words without judgement (or even knowledge)… without worrying if a reader will disagree or think it’s silly… none of the emotions that get in the way.

Which are some of the biggest obstacles to speed in our writing. It’s also what inbues our output with magical potential.

AI also doesn’t tend to use vocabulary flourishes like using “imbue” in a sentence. (It’s never the most-probable next word for the autocomplete.)

Anyway… when you turn down the volume on your emotional filter, you automatically write faster.

So that’s something you can work on. Criticize yourself less. Trust yourself to create something great. And don’t worry about getting it perfect in the first draft.

Pretend you’re a bot for 20 minutes. Let the words flow and see what happens.

2) Delete the Speed Limit.

One of the things that may be slowing you down is the belief that it’s going to take a long time, or the belief that you’re a slow writer.

If you believe that, you will experience that.

I’ve been saying “I’m not a fast writer” for YEARS. But when I stopped saying that about myself, I was shocked by how much more productive I became.

I have to give credit to Kevin Bullard for helping me get unstuck on this point.

(There’s a lot more to the advice Kevin gave me, but we won’t get into that here.)

3) Remember Law #4.

In Robert Greene’s classic book The 48 Laws of Power, the 4th axiom is 

“Always say less than necessary.

Greene wasn’t talking to writers, but there’s a kernel of truth hidden in this law specifically for us writers.

Deciding what to exclude is one of the most important parts of a writer’s job.

The point I want to make here is this: decide in advance that you don’t have to cover every aspect of the topic you’re writing about.

(Make the decision in advance to avoid questioning yourself mid-writing.)

Depending on the project, you can often make a snap judgement: “There are probably 20 aspects to this topic, but I’m just going to highlight X of them in this piece.” X= the number of angles you instantly know you can cover with confidence.

You can always change the number as you write.

You come to a point where you know you want/need to add more details. Or you feel like you’re going down a meerkat hole that you can skip entirely.

You’re the creative. Make the choice that makes the most sense.

Speed isn’t everything (which is why human copywriters can’t be totally replaced by AI in most instances). But it’s definitely a bonus if you can get it.

4) Talk It Out

I usually give this advice to people who tell me they don’t like to write or don’t think they’re good writers. But it can work well for anyone.

It can be a good way to shut off the filter that automatically switches on when we sit down to write.

If you’ve ever known exactly what you wanted to say… then spent hours figuring out how to get the words onto your computer screen, you’ve felt the filter at work.

Do yourself a favor. Talk it out. Google Docs or Microsoft Word have built in voice typing functionality.

screenshot of Google Doc with Tool >> Voice Typing visible

Here’s a weird trick if you’re still stuck.

Call up a friend and explain your idea to him. That can trick your mind into thinking you’re having a regular ol’ conversation. The filter will relax.

Edit the text and you’re good to go.

5) Never Start from Scratch

Templates, writing prompts and swipe-worthy examples are speed-boosting tools just like AI.

Good ones can put rocket fuel in your tank.

Whether you’re just getting started as a copywriter or you’ve been cruising along for years — or if you’re an entrepreneur who wants to write better copy faster…

This could change everything for you.

You’ll write faster and more confidently… and more persuasively.

That means more money in your account in less time. And that’s the name of the game.

Have a productive day!

Beat Burnout & Breathe Life Into Your Day

Today’s email is inspired by an important question a fellow copywriter asked me:

“I know we get paid to write… but I’m writing more than I ever have right now and I’m getting burnt out.

How do you stay fresh?”

I have a 5-part response to this question. These are helpful tips if you feel burnout creeping in… but you can also do them proactively to help prevent burnout before it starts.

1) Consume as much as you write. 

I don’t know if it’s true across the board, but in my experience, you need more fuel in the tank when you increase your creative workload.

Sometimes that means doing research. Sometimes it’s just going down the dark alleys of the internet (or Netflix) reading about things you’re interested in.

When you’re lucky, you can find places where work-related research overlaps with topics that interest and entertain you.

Looking for some good recreational material to consume? I’ve been sharing some of my favorite business books written by Black authors on social media.

2) Give yourself good breaks. 

You’re not ChatGPT, right? Your brain isn’t designed to write for 4 hours straight.

I took a full day off last week to take my son to the Chicago Auto Show (the biggest car show in the nation).

Copywriter Donnie Bryant and his son at the Chicago Auto Show

On the rare occasion you have the momentum for long writing sessions, go for it. Momentum is your best friend. (It can also be your worst enemy, but that’s a different conversation.)

But unless you have a screeching deadline, I encourage you not to force it.

3) Get sleep. 

I’m terrible at this, but it makes a huge difference.

I’m the king of the all-nighter. Ask any of my friends. So I can tell you as well as anyone (outside, you know, sleep scientists) that skipping sleep take a significant toll.

Especially after 30.

Double especially after 40.

Sure, you may pick up 8 extra hours of work, but if you’re like me, you’re basically useless for 12 hours after that.

Again, unless your deadline is tomorrow, I advise against skipping sleep.

4) Switch between tasks when you start hitting a wall.

Sometimes that looks like writing for a different project, sometimes it’s doing the laundry you know is piling up.

You’re able to keep working… but refocusing your brain can breathe some life back into your day.

5) Spend as much time as possible working on work that matters to you.

We don’t always have the luxury of doing this. But whenever you can, say “no” to work that drains you so you can make room for work you feel is meaningful, dare I say enjoyable.

Work you can wake up in the morning excited about.

Doing work that feels pointless sucks life out of you.

I don’t have statistics, but I reckon this could be the biggest cause of burnout on micro (getting tired of a particular task) and macro (general burnout that singes every part of your life) levels.

If you can swing it, just say “no.”

— — —

— — —
Hopefully those tips are helpful for you.

Have a productive day!

Live Demo: Bing’s New AI-Powered Search

Since we’ve been talking about how AI will change search, I thought you may be interested in watching a live demo of the new ChatGPT-powered Bing.

I meant to make a 5 minute video… but it kept pulling me back in.

There are some really impressive features (you get conversational AI that will follow commands like ChatGPT, but plugged into the web)

And some really glaring problems (which you kinda have to see to believe).

Check out the video here.

Have a productive day!

Is Search Dead? Answering the Question on Everybody’s Mind

Are you tired of hearing about AI yet?

Or are you voraciously consuming everything in sight on the subject?

My wife said I’m “obsessed,” which can’t possibly be true. And I really think things went too far when the whole family got together to do an intervention.

Now, it’s not that I can’t talk about anything else… but a friend asked me a question about AI-powered search, and I thought I’d share the answer with you.

Because a) there was already a lot of chatter about ChatGPT destroying Google… and b) now Microsoft has announced an AI-powered version of Bing that has even more people shook.

Don’t worry, Google won’t be far behind. They announced their ChatGPT competitor, called Bard, this week. But Big G actually demonstrated an AI-infused search at their I/O conference back in 2021!

Anyway… here’s the question I got:

What’s the long-term importance of (written) content marketing now that search engines will give AI-powered synthesized answers to questions with no need to click through to a content publisher’s site?

Good question, right?!

Here’s my response:

Based on my interactions, most of the big dogs are still trying to figure out exactly what the impact of AI-powered search will be.
I don’t know of any publisher or copy guru who’s freaking out, though. (Although some gurus are promoting fear to sell their latest training)

Here’s my take:

1) People still love their people.

The AI-generated “answers” will, by definition, lack personality. Not saying the language won’t be personal-sounding, but it’s not created by a person.

People who love Dave Ramsey, for example, will continue looking to Dave Ramsey for his specific advice on issues.

So even though there will surely be a significant decline in clickthroughs from search inquiries… people will still want to be connected to their favorite experts on topics that intrigue them the most.

2) As smart as AI is, I don’t think the synthesized answers will satisfy anyone looking to really explore a topic. It will be perfect for quick answers, overviews of subjects, etc…

But at some point, deep divers will need to click over to real websites with more comprehensive coverage.

Google has already been prioritizing real expert-level content in search, and it will continue to do so.

Search results will be able to skip over websites that doesn’t offer in-depth content because the AI will be able to handle quick questions itself.

3) Publishers/content creators/entrepreneurs will HAVE to focus more on capturing email addresses.

Because you don’t want your fate completely in the hands of the fast-changing world of search.

Securing email addresses gives you a captive audience that you can push information to.

I see “push content” as a trend that’s been growing anyway.

When TikTok overtook Google as the most popular website on earth, you see that search barely exists.

People are deciding the kind of content they want to consume via engagement over time — and having that type of content pushed to them, via TikTok, email, SMS.

I think this will be an increasingly influential part of content marketing, which has been thought of as more passive up til now.

4) The other thing is that AI, in its current form, can’t be forward looking or truly creative. 

As you said in the question, it “synthesizes” what it consumes from human creators.

So in that respect, it’s going to lag behind humans until it figures out how to create something authentically new.

Also, AI can crunch economic and housing market data, for example, and even make predictions about where the market will go in the next 12 months…

But that info won’t be available in search anytime soon. Readers will still have to go to publishers to get trustworthy, contextually accurate insight into future developments.

So publishers/creators who are pushing their industries forward and helping their audience navigate a changing world will also be ahead of AI for the foreseeable future.

(Admittedly, the foreseeable future is probably like 90 days lol)

As you’re creating content, think about how you can push your industry forward and prepare your readers/viewers for what they’re likely to face in their uncertain tomorrows.

As you’re planning out products, a minimum viable product (MVP) may be less appealing. Because people can get so much from search, so much from AI.

You gotta bring the “A game” pretty quickly.

— — —

Hope that’s helpful for you. Go capture some email addresses.

I have to get back to my intervention. Sounds like the family is starting to look for me.

Have a productive day.

Donnie

P.S. I clearly lied to you. I said Inbox X-Factor would be available in January. I missed my deadline. But it’s coming soon.

Thanks for your patience!

Don’t Let AI Do This to You

What’s up, my friend?!

I should’ve said it sooner: happy new year. Hope you’ve been able to kick off 2023 with gusto.

After guzzling all that sparkling grape juice, I realized I left out an important point in my previous email about my 3 predictions for the year.

The major distinction I need to add pertains to the first part of Prediction #3:

The value of real expertise will increase.

Here’s how I see this playing out in 2023…

There will be an avalanche of mostly mediocre AI-generated content published.

Quantity will likely increase every day, but quality will lag for a while. It’ll be at least 6 to 12 months before folks get over their giddiness and notice the diminishing returns.

That means two things:

1) High quality human-generated content will become rarer relative to speed-focused stuff spit out by AI… and

2) Human buyers (because bots have no money) will be increasingly impacted by marketing that feels authentically personal and/or delivers entertainment as part of the interaction.

Remember: TikTok gets more visitors than Google for a reason. Humans crave entertainment. They DEMAND it. That won’t change anytime soon.

AI is great at putting together information. It’s nowhere near ready for prime time when it comes to entertainment, especially in smaller niches.

Here’s the takeaway. Two things.

First, I encourage you to get familiar with AI tools. There’s some incredible stuff out there. I’m especially fond of HelloScribe for writing purposes.

But don’t let AI do all the work for you. I’ve had too many conversations with entrepreneurs who are overly optimistic about the copy-pasteability of AI output. 

Don’t fall for it.

It’s true. You can get decent content/copy from AI. It will continue to get better over time.

But it’ll be a long time before it’s great. A long time before it’s authentically personal, especially in certain situations…

Secondly, the time of being Switzerland and playing it safe is over.

Work on adding personality and, yes, even entertainment into your content and copy.

Copywriting is no longer “salesmanship in print.” It’s SHOWMANSHIP in print.

I’ll be talking more about this in the coming days and weeks.

For now, I’ll point you to a conversation I had with copywriting legend John Forde on the topic. (The video should start at 32:01.)

Have a productive day!

P.S. Even as artificial intelligence platforms improve their copy-pasteability, it’s still going to be a LONG time before they’re able to tap into the pure creativity of human copywriters.

Here’s a quick illustration using curiosity-drenched bullets:

AI can’t touch copy like this for multiple reasons.

Firstly, these bullets draw on context not included in the content itself. Particularly the one about the curse.

Secondly, AI still has a way to go into understanding why people use language the way we do. The bot is programmed to predict what word will follow the previous word, based on a bank of words it’s been trained on.

But it doesn’t understand what it’s saying, let alone why we say what we say or how to phrase copy/content for a particular emotional effect.

That’s why, for now, copywriters can still do what AI can’t do.

Long live the humans!

3 Big Predictions for 2023

Happy almost New Year!

Instead of being clever and coming up with 23 predictions for 2023, I’ll just give you 3 for the coming year.

I don’t know that any of these will be shocking, but I think you’ll find them useful. (And correct.)

Let’s get to it.

Prediction #1: The population general will shift even more toward fear about the economy.

Yes, we’ve already heard plenty of complaining about inflation (and I think we’re a ways off from seeing that fixed), possible recession, etc.

Still, 2022 holiday spending has been record-breaking.

If your neighborhood is anything like mine, people bought everything they could get their hands on for Christmas.

I predict people will adopt a more defensive attitude in 2023.  Spending will be tempered (not decimated), and in most industries, you’ll have to work harder to get people to open their wallets.

You’ll benefit from communicating safety, security and CERTAINTY in your marketing.  Help your clients and prospects feel a greater degree of control and they’ll reward you.

Prediction #2: AI will help creatives more than it hurts. Consumers won’t be so lucky.

Based on my last few emails, you already know I don’t see ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools as a threat to copywriters… designers… children’s book authors.

I just uploaded a video highlighting 10 copywriting skills AI doesn’t have (yet) that guarantee humans will still be running the show for the foreseeable future.

Besides, no one wants to do our jobs!

Entrepreneurs are already full-time busy with their jobs. The reason they don’t study copywriting or graphic design is the same reason most won’t invest the time to learning to leverage AI.

And even if they do bring AI into the mix, they still need skilled copywriters, designers, etc., to run the program!

That said, marketers will create far more content in 2023 than ever before. Much of it will likely come from AI.

More and more content… with less and less originality… which means more and more noise for everyone to sift through.

Several experts are even advocating for and teaching “authors” to use AI to ghost write their books!

In many ways, I believe 2023 is going to be a year of content quantity over quality as people prioritize speed.

It’s like giving a teenager the keys to a gassed-up Bugatti. Could be painful to watch.

Prediction #3: The value of real expertise will increase… but it’ll be harder than ever for most to get their expertise noticed.

True, original-thinking experts will seem increasingly rare and refreshing amidst an onslaught of mediocre AI content.

Your ideal clients will sing “Oh happy day” when they find you. They’ll likely be more tired than ever from wading through the sea of cyber-sameness.  

In 2023, you may need to crank out more copy/content than you’ve had to produce in the past — without decreasing its quality.

Showcase your expertise, your unique and relevant experience, your empathy and your HUMANNESS… even if you use AI like crazy.

(For the record, my plans for the new year include a TON more content. So I’m not just talking to hear my fingers hit the keys.)

AI will get better over time, and people (hopefully) will get better at using it.

Either way, 2023 is going to be interesting!

3 Steps to AI-Proof Your Copywriting Business

I’m guessing you’ve had at least a couple conversations about AI over the past couple weeks.

I’ve had a couple dozen. And each time, an image pops in my mind of the steel-driving man John Henry staring down that ol’ steam drill.

According to the folk story John Henry worked himself to death trying to beat the machine in a high-stakes competition.

But the true story behind the legend ends differently. Henry dies from a lung condition caused by inhaling rock dust. In other words, it wasn’t a machine that killed him. It was the work itself.

I see a John Henry situation with artificial intelligence today.

Creatives are worried about the future. One of the most influential copywriters in the game predicted that AI will put 80% of copywriters out of work within 12 months.

Like that ol’ steam drill. Only John Henry could compete. Everyone else was obsolete.

Claiming 80% of copywriters will be out of a job by next New Year’s Eve is a bit drastic, if you ask me. But it’s impossible to deny that AI presents a challenge.

So, how do you AI-proof your business? 

Respect the Tech and Protect Your Neck

This advice is for copywriters, but I encourage any entrepreneur to pay attention, too.

1) Flip the fear. There’s a TON of things AI can’t do yet. And even more that it can’t do well. For example:

  • It’s not great at persuasion or authentic personality
  • It can’t really dig into breaking news and trending topics
  • The longer the output you’re looking for, the more problems will creep in.

Don’t let fear paralyze or discourage you. This is an opportunity. Respect the tech by using it to enhance your own productivity and creativity. Bring your special expertise to bear on the AI output and make real magic.

This is how you prevent the work from killing you like it did the real John Henry.

2) Get your weight up. There’s a lot AI can’t do, but it is more than capable of doing a TON of basic, low-level copy tasks.

In order to AI-proof your business, you can’t be mediocre. You can’t rely on basic, low-level copy tasks. Protect your neck by developing an expertise. I think it’ll be a while before AI can churn out effective (and accurate) copy for certain specialized niches like financial and alternative health. Especially long-form copy.

Continually get better at direct response techniques. Add something special a robot can’t do: humor… unique, bold perspective… original research.

3) Promote yourself more and better. This may be the most important advice, although it’s far from new.

Until AI starts making the hiring decisions, you’re still dealing with human prospects. They need to see you. They need to get a glimpse into your particular genius. They want to feel a connection with you.

It’s up to you to make that happen through confident self-promotion.

AI is getting all the good press these days. And your potential clients are thinking seriously about using it to make their lives easier. (So that can’t be your only argument now!) Their friends are telling them how cool it is. What do they need a copywriter for?

Well, for the reasons I mentioned above. If you have persuasion skills, the ability to communicate with authentic personality, and proven profit-pulling penmanship, you can do what AI can’t.

But you have to make sure people know that about you!

Whether you consider yourself an extrovert or not, you’re likely going to have to put yourself out there more.

I believe video will be especially important in the coming weeks. Because AI can’t recreate your personality, your charm, your empathy.

The only downside is that the more videos you make, the better Donnie deepfakes AI will be able to make!  

Respect the tech. Use it to your advantage.

Protect your neck. Show yourself superior in all the ways that matter.