How to “Think Outside The Box”
In a comment, on my very first post, on this blog an old friend referred to me as someone who thinks outside the box.
Being able to do so has helped me a lot in my business, my life really.
How to do it…
As I look at it, I have never been one to “accept it”, as “they” say it should be. That said, there was a big moment in my life when I think that this natural tendency was magnified. I was forced into a “shift in perception.” I think this is the foundation for being able to think outside the box…being able to see things from a different perspective.
Here’s what I mean…
In my early twenties, nearly 20 years ago I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Environmental Illness. For a couple of years I followed the experts advice until one day, when I thought I was dying… (No exaggeration)
Out of desperation, I called someone in the Natural Health field, Dr. Darrell Wolfe.
He told me to do things I had never heard of before but I was desperate. I followed his unusual advice and guess what…It worked. It was a turning point in my life. I was forced to see things in a different way.
My paradigm of what health care was had become completely shattered. No longer could I think, “This is how it is.”
Today I remain in the habit of asking myself, “How else can I see this.”
As an example, I’ll look to one industry and see how what they do can apply to what I’m doing.
My experience as an interviewer and it’s application to writing sales letters is one example.
FACT: We all see things through our own filters, filters that usually aren’t correct.
Let me say that again…
The way we see the world is often not as it really is.
We need to be conscious of this and question our perspective.
So it is with copywriting. When we “feel” that a word, a sentence, a paragraph, a section, an angle, a Body Copy Headline, etc. just isn’t on…
We should ask ourselves…
How can I see this differently?
Try not to get to attached to your own idea. It may be a good one, but my experience tells me, that often there is a better one. We just need to remain open, broaden our thinking and yes…
…Think outside the box.
Right now where is there a piece of your copy that isn’t tight? It isn’t as you would want it to be. It just doesn’t feel on!
Ask yourself…
What is it I’m trying to get across?
What point do I really want to make?
Why?
How else could I get it across?
Is there some other way for me to accomplish this?
If nothing comes to you it’s OK. Try it again for another point in your copy. Just keep trying until a new view comes. Once that first breakthrough comes, thinking outside the box becomes much more natural.
What is it that you believe right now that might not be exactly as you see it?
Comment by John A. Manley
April 3, 2006 @ 9:28 am
Wow! That might surprise a lot of the hard core swipers.
I don’t think I could write copy if I wasn’t allowed to think outside the box. Come out with new angles. Build on existing techniques.
There’s a lot of room for creativity in copy. As long as it stays with in clear and reasonable guidelines.
It’s a more constructive form of creativity (in constrast to image advertising).
John
http://www.realitycopywritng.com