Part #2 of my wife’s shocking exposé, Internet Marketing Sins covering five more sins, is finally out.

It took a bit longer this time, and Sylvie explains why in the report.

Once you read this second installment and some of the shocking revelations it makes, you’ll soon understand why. Because in it, she exposes some of the more devious, cunning, and toxic behaviors and destructive personality traits we see online today.

(The section on Cult Leaders is pretty fascinating, too. There’s some pretty harsh stuff in there, and some of it might seem very familiar to you.)

But it’s not all doom and gloom. You’ll also be in for a good laugh, too.

Have you ever seen Jeff Foxworthy do his “You might be a Redneck” skit? Well, Sylvie did her own with lazy marketers. And they’re all 100% true. As the outsourcing provider to many marketers, she’s seen her fair share of corner-cutting tactics.

The report is available on the download page of the initial report. If you haven’t signed up already, then I suggest that you do.

Go now and download part #2 of InternetMarketingSins.com.

What’s the most important part in copywriting? Is it the words? The headline? Bullets? Testimonials? Guarantees? The offer?

Nope.

None of these, while all important, are not as important as this one, single yet powerful element. It trumps all the others by a longshot, and it’s the one element that all copy must absolutely have to succeed.

And once I tell you what it is, you’re going to say, “Of course!” But, it’s not what you think — at least, not in the way you think…

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After typing furiously for the last three days, my wife has finally put together the first part of a three-part manifesto, in which she finally exposes some of the grievous sins committed by many marketers on the Internet.

It has shocked a great number of people, and it will make a lot of people mad. She’s also taking a monumental risk by speaking out like this. But she’s mad, too, and can’t take it anymore.

In it, she not only lashes out at Internet marketers who use stupid (and sometimes illegal) marketing tricks, but also consumers of Internet marketing products who perpetuate them — and what to do about it.

There are 15 sins in all. She will be covering five sins in each installment, and she’s currently working on the second. The first five sins are available right now.

This manifesto is free and there are no sales pitches.

There is an opt-in email form in order to notify you when each installment is available. And in it, my wife does offer some links to a few resources, including some of our own. But they are not necessary for you to read and benefit from this report.

Now, an important warning…

She doesn’t hold anything back. If you are squeamish or get offended easily, then please don’t download it. My wife uses very strong language not intended for younger audiences. So reader discretion is advised.

Click here to go download “Internet Marketing Sins.”

I’m back from New Zealand. We had a chance to eat at The Orbit, a rotating restaurant at the top of the Sky Tower with our friend and copywriting whiz Alan Forrest Smith.

Now that I’m back, I have a something for you.

You’ve probably read my last blog post about this seeming “intuitive skill” some marketers seem to have when finding red-hot niches online — or confirming if yours is viable and profitable, and how to sell more. It’s the first and most important step in Success Chef.

It took my wife Sylvie Fortin over nine long months to put together. You get close to five hours of streaming lessons with tons of resources. And it’s getting rave reviews!

Well, I finally had time to write some copy and put up a rough web page that explains it in much greater detail. I’m still working on it. I’ve added a complete course description, a list of what’s included, and an extra bonus not mentioned before.

So please check it out and let us know what you think!

Click here for a course description and more.

A member on my copywriters forum (now my blog) started a thread on what makes my forum so popular. Everyone chimed in with some great answers, and I appreciate the feedback.

(The cool thing about it is, that very thread also reached an important milestone. It was the 10,000th one! Talk about a coincidence, eh?)

But then someone asked:

“Michel, can I ask how you initially got the word out about your forum?”

My answer revealed a bit more than what the member anticipated. Instead of talking about how my forum became so popular, I went on a tangent and explained the step-by-step process I used to book copywriting projects.

The answer was so well received that I decided to reprint it here.

Now, you may be wondering what promoting a forum (or a blog, for that matter) has to do with promoting my copywriting services. Keep reading because you’ll soon understand why…

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In a recent critique for a coaching client, the issue of “gap analysis” arose. Gap Analysis is something I learned in sales, and it was heavily taught by sales trainers like Brian Tracy, such as in his course “The Psychology of Selling.”

Gap Analysis is an immensely powerful selling technique. It’s also an important feature of copywriting. In fact, most people will know a variation of it, which is often called “Problem-Agitate-Solve,” a term coined by top copywriter Dan Kennedy.

I prefer “Gap Analysis” because it drives home the relationship between those three elements. So what is Gap Analysis and how can you apply it to your sales copy?

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Recently, a coaching client asked me about dealing with prospective clients over the phone.

This copywriter understood the importance of communicating with prospects and answering their pre-sale questions. However, like me, he preferred to avoid the telephone and asked me if his strategy was sound.

Free consultations are often a necessary step in securing clients in your early days as a copywriter before you’ve established your expertise and developed a reputation.

It’s natural that potential clients want to get a feel for your style and standards with a “getting to know you session.” Quite often, they will want to do this via a phone consultation with you.

I’m a big believer in opening the lines of communication, and I also like to pick up the phone to speak with a client when writing copy.

But before a client hires me, I prefer to remain off the phone. Why? Because the telephone can be counterproductive and even hurt your business.

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