I feel kinda bad.

Julie Isaac, who commented on a previous blog post in which I said I was preparing for my upcoming Web 2.0 copywriting workshop, was upset with me. And for good reason, too. Here’s what she said:

This is the first time, since you announced it in May, that I’ve seen you write about your Web 2.0 Copywriting workshop. Are you still planning it for the weekend of November 10th? I’ve been holding that weekend open since I heard your plans, but finally gave up, figuring you must have postponed it. Just last week, I signed up for something else that weekend. Please tell me I’m not going to miss your workshop!!!

Sorry to dissapoint you, Julie. But yes, the seminar is indeed that weekend.

The salesletter is not up yet, but if this seminar interests you, you can certainly go there now and join the notification list. That way, you will be notified as soon as the web page is up so you can register…

Click here for the Web 2.0 Copywriting workshop.

(You gotta see what Dan O’Day has in store for you… He shared it with me last night on the phone, and it blew me away! You’re going to love this event. Plus, with Google Audio Ads coming out, his stuff is very timely.)

Writing copy seems to bring out the perfectionist in everyone. It doesn’t seem to matter if you’re writing a short letter, long letter, emails, or anything else. Before you publish your copy for the whole world to see, you want to make sure every word is perfect.

Such careful attention is a good thing. Making a sale is a fragile process. Sometimes a single word can make or break your promotion.

Let me give you a real example.

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As I’m going through some videos to prepare for my upcoming Web 2.0 video copywriting workshop in Los Angeles, I stumbled upon this amazing video.

If you ever wanted to attend a “lecture of a lifetime,” this would be it. With only 4-5 months left to live, this university professor gave his last lecture. It’s probably the best one I’ve ever seen. Ever.

If you want some important lessons about reaching goals, achieving dreams, the power of enthusiasm, and lessons that will literally transform you, then watch it. Watch it from beginning to end…

… And then try to keep your eyes dry.

I dare you.

Dying 47-Year-Old Professor Gives Exuberant “Last Lecture”

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As we’re getting ready to speak at the next Big Seminar, and share the stage with none other than Jay Abraham, my wife Sylvie and I have been working furiously on our upcoming product, Success Chef, which we are launching at Big.

But as busy as I am these days, and with the added stress of writing copy, dealing with clients and raising three teenagers, I sometimes find myself dipping into a few books as a distraction for some solace and quietude — and to give me some fresh ideas.

Last week, I bought four books, and devoured them in a single week!

I’m nothing short of amazed at how great these books are. And I want to share them with you and encourage you to grab a copy. (Audio versions of the books are also available, too.) They are…

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In the wake of rumored proposals to regulate the web during its early days, Canada’s telecommunications watchdog, the CRTC — comparable to America’s FCC — officially declared in 1999 that the Internet is not a broadcasting medium.

Technically, the Internet is indeed a medium.

But the government based its decision on the fact that the web is interactive with its audience — unlike other one-way media such as the TV or radio. As a result, regulators concluded the Internet could therefore police itself.

(The “Net Neutrality” debate of late is a perfect example that it is different.)

Nevertheless, my point here is not a political one but a marketing-related one.

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Many copywriters often talk about targeting a niche… getting to know them so you talk their language and describe your solution for them as though you were one of them.

I’d like to take a contrarian view.

I think it’s silly to worry about targeting a “niche.”

I propose that all people are the same at their core and if you are actually working a true market… targeting is as silly as pretending that some people don’t eat or sleep or have sex or breathe.

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The other day, one of my coaching students emailed me about his dilemma — something that’s all too common in our business.

“Too many times,” he said, “I’ve known what I needed to do, and I always end up waiting weeks on end to do it.” He asked, “How do you cope with procrastination?”

Procrastination is indubitably the copywriter’s most stifling problem. Since our job is fraught with deadlines, procrastination can be one of the costliest problems in the copywriting business. It can murder your reputation…

… And your career!

So, how do you cope with procrastination? Even better, how do you overcome it? Here are six tips I use, which helps me to get more done faster.

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