Donnie Bryant

Donnie Bryant is a direct response copywriter and marketing consultant. He helps small businesses and solo professionals connect with and convert their “should-be” clients with unusually effective marketing messages and systems.

The Biggest Lesson Clayton Makepeace Taught Me

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Many of the biggest names in the copywriting world gathered yesterday to pay tribute to Clayton Makepeace, who passed away almost exactly one year ago.

His death hit me pretty hard because he was such an instrumental part of my journey.

Not only was Clayton a great copywriter (one of the all-time greats) and brilliant teacher (his copy cubs are some of the best in the game, too)…

He was one of the most interesting guys I’ve ever hung out with.

Since I wasn’t invited to speak at today’s tribute, which was organized and hosted by another legend, Carline Anglade-Cole…

I’m going to share a game-changing lesson he taught me right here.

Now, to be fair, I wasn’t invited to speak at the tribute because:

1) I’m barely a big name copywriter in my own house and
2) Clayton was only my mentor from a distance.

Plus, I only hung out with him once, when I was invited to speak on a hot seat panel during AWAI’s “Makepeace Method for Writing Million Dollar Sales Letters in 7 Days or Less” workshop in 2016.

Here’s a picture of Clayton and me on stage at the event, along with David Deutsch and Parris Lampropoulos (who both spoke at the tribute).

By the way, I’d like to publicly thank John Forde for helping get me on stage with these titans.

Now, let me share the lesson Clayton taught me that impacted me more than any other.

No matter how you rate your copywriting skills, this concept can revolutionize your ability to persuade in print or in person.

It’s…

“The Triumph of Hope Over Experience“

Your should-be clients have dreams and desires. In many cases, those dreams and desires do not match up with the reality they’re face every day.

They dream of having six-pack abs… even though they see their gut bulging more every week.

And they want to get that six-pack without exercise or dieting. A magical fat-burning pill will do nicely.

They dream of their husbands putting their socks in the hamper instead of leaving them on the bathroom floor… even though their experience tells them not to hold their breath. (Pun intended)

Experience tells them their dreams and desires are out of reach.

But they still have HOPE and their hope consistently triumphs over their experience.

Hope is what drives them to keep trying – and buying – new things to get closer to those dreams and desires.

Your job as a persuader is to pour gasoline on the embers of their hope. Do it right and your prospects will appreciate you selling to them.

And here’s a brilliant tip:

His experience can be the path of least resistance to the promised land he hopes to reach.

Show him an experience he’s already personally familiar with.

Then connect that experience to a fact he knows (or at least suspects) and could easily prove.

And then connect that fact to the dream/desire you’re appealing to in your copy.

Take this oversimplified example:

Copy: 90% of people live paycheck to paycheck.
Reader: “Yep, I’m broke and so is everyone I know.”

Copy: The 10% of people doing well have totally different mindsets and habits than the broke folk. But no one ever told you.
Reader: “That makes sense! My role models were broke, so they couldn’t show me the right way. So it’s not my fault”

Copy: Once you learn just a few mindset hacks and simple habit stacks, you’ll be ready to join the rich and famous 10%.
Reader: “Take my money!”

See how that works?

You’re building belief in the new transformation you’re selling on the foundation of one (or more) of his established beliefs.

And get this.

Even if the reader has tried a similar product… the fact that he’s reading your copy means he HOPES you’re going to be the one who finally helps him realize his dreams and desires.

A lot of copywriters skip this step. They go right from “You’re broke” to “here are mindset hacks and habit stacks to help you get rich.”

Again, that’s oversimplified, but you can see how powerful the concept is.

We could go deeper, but we’ve covered enough ground for one article.

Add this lesson from Clayton to your persuasion repertoire. It can make a world of difference for you (and your should-be clients).

Give Your Emails Superhuman Strength

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3-year old Donnie in Superman pajamas (nothing to do with email)

Superheroes don’t usually get to choose their own powers.

But YOU can decide today to give your sales copy superhuman selling strength.

In the video below, you’ll discover 4 simple strategies you can start using right away to:

  • compel more subscribers to open your emails…
  • build a deep & lasting connection with your readers…
  • make more sales without feeling salesy (unless you’re into that sort of thing).

I can’t think of a single industry where these strategies won’t work.

By the way, these tips work outside of email, too.

f that’s you, here’s a super quick overview of the superhero strategies you can use to make your copy more powerful

1) Never underestimate the value of a compelling villain.

Bad guys are what make the superheroes both necessary and interesting.

In your copy, spend some time talking about the person or thing that’s making life harder for your reader. What’s keeping him from living the life he dreams of?

Make the source of that blockage into a villain. Someone or something that can be demonized… then defeated.

E.g., “The reason you can’t rid of belly fat isn’t because you’re lazy. It’s because of a hormone called cortisol.” 

2) Focus on saving the world

Superheroes don’t use their powers to enrich themselves. They spend their time helping other people.

And they generally take on big threats.

Your copy should be about your reader, not yourself. And don’t waste anyone’s time making small promises. Talk about the massive transformative benefits you can deliver for people who work with you.

3) Identity is unspeakably important

Superheroes have carefully crafted secret identities. As a marketer, it’s useful to invest the time into crafting the identity you present to your reader.

Make yourself into the best possible individual/business to make the case for your product or service to your target audience.

That means you have to intimately understand the identity of your target audience, too.

4) Run towards the danger

Take a stand, even if it’s controversial. Maybe especially if it’s controversial.

Pick a fight.

Be an advocate for a cause that’s meaningful to your reader.

This makes you a leader. Draws the right kind of people to you and forms emotional bonds. Then helps them see you’re the obvious choice to help them reach their goals.

Pretty much everyone else is running away from the danger. Your copy should put you right in the heat of battle.

That’s what your favorite superhero would do.

This Story Can Put Money In Your Pocket

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“Did you seriously tip that waiter 37 percent?”

Wifey is clearly irritated with me… mainly because we’ve had this conversation before.

“Did I? I didn’t do the math. I just gave a flat $50.” Which is true, but we both knew that I knew I overtipped for our anniversary dinner.

I promised my queen I’d stop “showing off”…

Which explains why she was annoyed when the credit card company sent a message asking if the charge was legit.

But I did it anyway.

So why the heck did I do it?

I was manipulated by the waiter!

And it was so smooth I didn’t even realize what happened until 4 days later.

(It’s possible the manipulation wasn’t intentional, but I doubt it. I’m bet he uses this routine all the time to put more cash in his pocket.)

Here’s the short version of what happened:

We ate at a nice steakhouse in downtown Chicago. Food was amazing and the service was top notch. The guy was attentive, funny, even charming. Very likeable.

As we’re getting close to finishing the meal, the waiter points out a group of men hanging out at the bar… and he starts to tell me a story.

This is so doggone smooth…

He says the group remind him of another group of guys who didn’t want to leave the bar when the restaurant was closing one night.

The ringleader was a high roller. He’d spent about $8 grand on drinks that night. Tipped the bartender $1,000 and the waiter (the guy taking care of us) a couple hundred. Everyone loved the guy. But they didn’t want to keep the bar open all night for him.

Conveniently, the exterminator arrived for their monthly inspection, and our waiter concocted a ruse to convince Mr. Money Bags everyone had to leave.

And everyone lived happily ever after.

See the trick?

The story felt very natural. I couldn’t detect any ulterior motive. It was just another way our waiter was entertaining us during dinner.

But through the story, he introduced a couple insidious ideas:

  • Patrons of this restaurant are big tippers.
  • Waiters recognize your status by now much you tip… and you don’t want to be a man with lower status, do you?
  • Big spenders are admired — and have stories told about them.

He said all that without explicitly saying any of it. And there was zero pressure.

Masterful manipulation for maximum tip.

Let’s call it “maTIPulation.”

Long story short…

Stories can be the powerful persuasive tools.

Use them wisely.

P.S. Want help writing story-based emails that put money in your pocket? Inbox X-Factor is a good place to start.

The Whistledown Effect: 3 Copywriting Insights from Bridgerton

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So, this writer got tricked into watching Bridgerton a couple weeks ago.

Have you watched it? (If not, don’t worry. There are no spoilers here.)

Personally, I didn’t feel like it lived up to the hype.

That won’t stop me from getting a Duke of Hastings costume for Halloween. Think I can pull it off?

Seriously though…

There was one element I found really compelling, and it can boost your profitability if you can emulate it.

I’ve dubbed it the Whistledown Effect

A.K.A, how to get everyone in town to read your letters.

Now, if you haven’t seen the show, Lady Whistledown is the character who more or less drives the entire plot. She writes and distributes a gossip column that has the whole ‘Ton buzzing.

That column is the only reason the main characters get together in the first place.

So what’s the secret? How does Lady Whistledown get everyone to voraciously read every word she writes?

More importantly, how can you use the Whistledown Effect to get (and keep) more eyeballs on your copy and content?

Here are a few keys:

1. Talk about your reader

In Bridgerton, Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers are all about the people in town. You never knew when you’d see your name pop up.

When you write copy or content, it’s should be all about the reader. You may not be calling them by name (although it’s a good idea to use personalization where possible)…

You should write about the issues your reader is facing in his life today… the pains and problems he wants to get rid of… the dreams and desires he wants so badly to attain.

He needs to be able to see himself, his reality and his desired outcome in the copy you send him.

Too many entrepreneurs focus on themselves, their products or their business. The reader doesn’t care much about those things. And why should he?

If you want the reader’s attention and continued interest, talk about him and those things that concern him specifically.

2. Reveal juicy secrets

Whistledown also dropped bombshells about the hidden personal lives of Bridgerton characters — including the Queen herself. Humans have a hard time resisting secrets.

Your copy should at least at secret things. Lessons the reader won’t hear anywhere else. Hidden solutions no one else knows about. Facades that have everyone fooled… but you’re about to enlighten them about.

Of course, you may not reveal the secret until after the reader hits the buy button.

3. Be surprising

If the reader thinks he knows what you’re going to talk about, or he knows the secret you plan to unveil, he’s a lot less likely to pay attention.  He already knows that stuff.

Be unpredictable.
Be polarizing.
Ruffle some feathers.

Think of the great marketers and communicators you know. You were never sure what they were going to say or how they might say it. But you knew it would be good.

Lady Whistledown rarely disappointed. That’s why her readers were so rabidly loyal.

Dear reader, make sure every message you craft has something surprising in it.

It’s worth the time you invest in doing so.

Super Bowl-Inspired Marketing Ideas

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Quick one for you today.

I honestly didn’t realize the big game was happening yesterday, but that won’t stop me from jumping on the “lessons from the Super Bowl” trend.

Here are a few marketing concepts you can better appreciate right after a public spectacle like this.

You can probably guess what a direct response guy like me is going to say. But you’d be wrong today. ?

1. It’s helpful to build an audience

Word on the street is that 30-second commercial spots during the game cost $5.5 million.

Why? Because there are literally millions of eyeballs glued to the screen to see them. And people are trained to actually watch these commercials. Where else does that happen?

The lesson for you, of course, is to start building your own audience — preferably an email list. Get intentional, even aggressive about it.

Your list (and the interest+trust you’ve earned from it) is your greatest asset as a business owner.

2. Focus on entertainment value (which makes #1 easier)

This is about both the game and the commercials.

All those millions of people watch because they want to be entertained. That’s really the only benefit they get from watching — especially for people who didn’t have parties this year.

People have been conditioned to pay attention to advertising messages during the Super Bowl because they’re designed to be entertaining.

How profitable they are is debatable (and in many cases impossible to determine).

But there’s no debate that entertaining marketing messages CAN be profitable. In fact, I’d argue that pretty much all entrepreneurs would benefit from adding some entertainment value to their marketing… and a majority are actively hurting themselves by neglecting to do so.

People have better things to do than be bored by your marketing in 2021

3. Leverage the “love-hate” in your target audience

The moment I realized the game was today was when my next door neighbor told me “I hope Brady loses tonight. I’m tired of that guy.“

A good percentage of Super Bowl viewers felt the same way.

That love-to-hate character is in itself entertaining. People will pay attention to your message if you talk to them about something or someone they’re ready to see eat some AstroTurf.

(I’d bet that 50% of the money Floyd Mayweather’s made in the past 5 years is from people who were hoping to see him get knocked out. His anti-fans have put millions of dollars in his pockets.)

Who’s the bad guy you can trash talk in your marketing to keep engaged — and spending money?

Think about it. Then do something with it.

Have a productive day.

P.S. It’s kinda weird I forgot about the game, considering Inbox X-Factor focuses on turning current events into email ideas. But I look more for the less obvious stories.

Anyone can tell you to write an email about the Super Bowl. 

But how many people are showing you how to write an email about the couple who got married underwater in India last week?

He Wanted to Break My Jaw (True Story)

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If your ideal customer has a problem that needs to be fixed (whether he knows it or not), this may be helpful for you.

It’s the tale of two dentists.

You see, I’ve always had crooked teeth and a slight underbite.

(You can see the crookedness in this selfie I took with my queen, who is perfect in every way.)

When I was a child, our family dentist suggested that he could fix that… by breaking my jaw and resetting it “properly.”

It was a fool-proof solution, apparently.

But he couldn’t sell it.

Most mothers don’t jump at the chance to break their children’s bones.

So I went through my childhood and adolescence feeling self-conscious when I smiled or laughed. Took a long time get over it.

Fast forward to 2019. I’m perfectly happy with my flawed smile.

But every time I go in for a checkup, my new dentist finds a new cavity and has to use a bazooka to knock the tartar from between my teeth.

After a few appointments, she told me:

“Based on what I’ve been seeing, it’s going to be impossible to get ahead of this. No matter how faithfully you brush and floss, you will develop gum disease and your teeth will eventually fall out of your face.

“It’s not your fault. It’s just the way your teeth grew in.”

She sold me Invisaligns in a single conversation.

What’s the difference between the two dentists? And…

… How Does This Help You Sell More?

Here are a few thoughts.

Your solution should be “easy.”

The first dentist wanted to break a child’s jaw to fix a few imperfect teeth. The fix required too much work, too much discomfort.

Talking with “problem aware” prospects isn’t enough.

My parents could clearly see an issue, but they weren’t compelled to do anything about it.

People live with their unresolved problems all the time. That’s the default for many of us. If you want to sell, you have to figure out how to shake them up to make them dissatisfied enough to change.

Fear is a legit selling tool, but there must be evidence.

The second dentist would never have been able to sell me $4,000 Invisaligns to fix my smile. She couldn’t have sold them to me if they were FREE. Because I was fine with my smile.

But I was NOT about to let my teeth rot out.

Sometimes you gotta go negative in your messaging. (SORRY!)

I wouldn’t try to scare a prospect about something they don’t know about. Rather, help them appreciate the real severity of the problem they already see.

“Sell” the diagnosis before you sell the solution.

When your should-be buyer believes that you really understand what he is going through, he’s more likely to convince himself to see things your way.

In many cases, that’s where you want to start.

Subject Lines Are Overrated – Here’s Proof

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Subject lines are the sexy part of email marketing.

Everyone wants to know the secret… the specific sequence of words that works every time.

Such secrets do exist.

But in reality, word choice is just one part of the magic of great emails.

Let me illustrate with a real-world example from this week.

Check out this screengrab. It’s showing the performance of a promotional email we sent out Wednesday.

The stats are ridiculous.

If you can’t read the pic, it’s showing an 84.5% open rate and 45% click rate. That means more than half of the openers also clicked through to the order form.

(More importantly, nearly half of the people who saw the order form also made a purchase.)

When someone sees those numbers, you already know what the first question will be 9 times out of 10:

“When did you learn to use Photoshop, Donnie?”

The next question is, “What’s the subject line?“

And yes, the subject line was perfect… and the preheader text was brilliant (I’ll reveal them in a minute)…

But we had a lot more going for us than just that:

  • You may have noticed this email went to 197 people. This is a very targeted segment of the much bigger list.
  • The “guru” has built great rapport and a ton of trust with subscribers. Becoming known as THE expert your subscribers look forward to hearing from is probably the greatest secret to email success.
  • There’s been a bunch of engagement with this segment recently to drum up anticipation.

Those factors will help you get opens. And they’ll definitely impact clicks.

But how did we get clickthrough rate so high?

(By the way, the last time this same offer was made to this same segment – before I started working with the client – the best CTR was less than 13%. As you recall, we got 45% this time.)

  • Focus on exclusivity
  • Social proof
  • Emphasis on emotional benefits over product features
  • Subtle validation of the reader’s self-worth

Obviously these results are specific to this effort. The point is… subject lines ARE important, but you need more than just tight subject lines to maximize the impact of and revenue from your emails.

Alright, I’ll finally reveal what the subject line and preheader text were.

Subject line: [First Name], here’s your private invitation

Preheader text: Congratulations! (shhh… it’s a secret)

The combination of personalization, an anticipated invitation, “congratulations” and a secret helped this achieve a spectacular open rate. 

Again, the biggest win here is the insanely high clickthrough rate and the conversion rate on the sales page.

In a way, open rates have always been overrated. Just because someone appears to have opened your message doesn’t mean they actually read it. And if they didn’t take any action, how good was the email, really?

Clickthrough rate is a much better measure of engagement. And sales is the ultimate metric, of course.

Speaking of open rates, have you heard about how the coming update to iOS 15 will make it basically impossible to track open rates for Apple users?

Some marketers are worried this will cause a disaster.

I believe it’s an opportunity.

Find out how in the video below.

(Almost) Unlimited Ideas for Story-Based Emails

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I shared this video training in the Email Copywriting Corner, but it makes sense to put it here, too…

Especially if making more money with email marketing is one of your new year’s resolutions.

You may be particularly interested in the 7 types of stories you should be sending to your email list:

Genesis stories: people want to know the story behind why you started something
Idealist stories: illustrate your personal & business values/philosophies with a story
Iron Fist stories: Tales of battle, struggle and victory (or lessons from losses) — either of yours or your customers’
Catalyst stories: Moments, decisions, interventions that caused critical change
Journalist stories: commentary on trending topics or news or little-known truth behind well-known stories
Adventurous stories: Crazy, funny stuff going on in your life
Status stories: Elevate your authority with big name clients, famous friends, recognition, accomplishments.

You’ll have to forgive me. I was really trying to be clever with this bootleg rhyming thing.

Until recently, this training was only available to Inbox X-Factor members. I’m giving you access now to help you kick 2021’s b.u.t.t.

Enjoy!

My Best Copywriting Tip, Bar None

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This is the most powerful copy principle I can share with you.

It’s shockingly simple to understand. Once you get it, it can change everything for you.

And in my humble opinion, it’s significantly more powerful (and easier to use) than Blair Warren’s famed One Sentence Persuasion.

I call it the “Red Bull” copy secret…

… and its the foundation of everything you need to know to sell more of your product or service.

Really.

This video gives you a quick overview (less than 4 minutes) along with the story behind the secret.

Now, if you don’t want to watch the video, let me give you the formula in one sentence:

Sell the transformation your buyer wants… using what he already has… with just a little help from you.

That’s how Red Bull works.

Buyers want alertness without having to change their sleeping habits. They want energy without changing their diet or exercise routines.

They buy the magical potion to fix things for them.

Here’s an example of what this might look like in sales copy:

Notice that you don’t have to start a new workout. You just have to get this report that shows you a smarter way of doing what you’re already doing.

This is more than just simplicity or ease — although that’s a part of it.

In general, people don’t want to change their lifestyle, habits or decisions.

(They may SAY they want to change, but that’s a lie.)

If your copy reassures the reader that he can achieve his stated goal… using the things in his life he’s already comfortable, familiar and even happy with…

You win the game.

Of course, you have to be honest. If you sell bottled water and energy-boosting meal plans, your copy can’t promise Red Bull.

That said, if you can make your products so they relieve the buyer of effort, responsibility and change, the more you’re likely to sell.

Make sense?

Let me point out one more thing.

In the beginning of this email, I said that once you understand this principle, “it can change everything for you.”

I told you that you don’t have to change. This secret changes your results FOR YOU.

This stuff works.

Now it’s time to make it work for you.

P.S. I am a big fan of Warren’s One Sentence Persuasion. It’s a powerful framework for crafting compelling messages and being a persuasive person.

I just think my “one sentence” is superior.

3 Email Secrets from My $17 Million Year

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Despite all the craziness, 2020 has been a phenomenal year for my clients.

Or maybe more accurately, 2020 has been a screaming success because of all the craziness.

Last week, I revealed 3 simple “secrets” behind that success in my first room on Clubhouse.

Specifically, how we’ve generated $17 million from email year-to-date.

You may not have been part of that Clubhouse conversation (it was a small audience)… and those conversations aren’t recorded…

So I’ll quickly tell you what I shared.

“Secret” #1: Be consistent and persistent

My clients email daily. And they make offers in every single email.

You can probably send more emails than you do. (That goes for me, too.)

One of the main points I made was that unsubscribes go up when you email LESS.

You let people forget who you are and why they were excited to hear from you.

Depending on your business and your capabilities, I recommend no fewer than 1 email per week. Most businesses can send 3 or more — and the only difference you’ll see is more money in the bank.

“Secret” #2: Curiosity

Don’t give away the punchline in every email.

Tease a juicy benefit… tantalizing opportunity… or potentially imminent danger…

And make the reader click a link to find out exactly what you’re talking about.

Create emotional tension that can only be resolved by clicking… and give your sales pitch on the other side of the click.

There’s a right way and a wrong way to do this.

You can get more insight into how curiosity works — and the right and wrong ways to use it in your email — in this video.

“Secret” 3: Easy on the education

I’ve discovered that a lot of entrepreneurs believe they have to educate prospects into buying from them.

Education can be helpful. But the truth is, information isn’t what sells.

You know that people buy on emotion. In a way, they’re buying the emotion itself.

(That’s one of the reasons people don’t do anything with the stuff they buy. Making the purchase provided the emotional payoff.)

Your copy’s job is to stimulate the emotions — hope, desire, guilt, fear, etc. — that make your prospects take action.

There’s no shortage of information.

But your prospects are dying for emotional MOTIVATION.

So be careful how you educate.

Each fact you present should be designed to inflame desire… not to make the reader smarter.

That sounds cynical, I know.

But when you’re going for maximum profits, it’s an approach likely to serve you well.

Having read this far, you’ve figured out why I put “secrets” in quotations.

They’re not unknown concepts. They’re just underutilized.

If your email marketing efforts are coming up short, these 3 ideas could be helpful.

Put them to work!