Here’s the email I received from Sherry Knutson, just moments ago.

Good morning Shaune!

I just want a moment of your time to make an official announcment…
Sherry Knutson has decided to join SA………Storyteller’s Anonymous! 

I awoke with a revelation this morning… that once and for all I’m
going to renounce my “addiction to storytelling” from my copywriting
persona.

No, really, silliness aside now… when I woke up this morning, lastnight’s call was the very first thing that came to mind. It was a real eye-opener. I could have gone on for at least 5 minutes about the things I got from the call.

I can’t help myself, so please bear with me as I lay out my thoughts…

While watching Wednesday night’s American Idol, women across America were collectively grabbing Kleenex or holding back tears…and failing miserably.

We were riveted – we could sense the authenticity – the empathy. We had to watch.

For those of you who somehow haven’t heard, the talk is all about Sherman Pore. Well past the age limit of Idol contestants, the 64 year old sang one last tribute to his wife of 20 years. She passed away from cancer two days prior.

The story unfolds…

Are you searching for the right approach for your next piece of copy?

Most of us start by reviewing the previous marketing material. Then we study what the competition is doing. It’s always important to know what’s working in your industry right now.

But don’t stop there.

Take the time to study what’s going on OUTSIDE your industry. Some of the most successful marketing campaigns were developed by doing just that.

Here’s an example…

Powerful speeches, like great copy, aren’t simply written – they aren’t merely a collection of well-written words. Those words and their accompanying emotion come from “Subconscious Material.”

What do I mean by that?

The simple act of writing words is missing dimension – emotional content. The writer isn’t deeply into the subject at hand.  Sure, you’re “into it” but there’s something deeper.

The greatest example of this is how copywriters talk about how their best copy comes when they are the target audience for the product they are writing for.

Did you see The Apprentice on Sunday?  What struck me is how Donald Trump uttered the famous “You’re fired!” to the more personable, but somewhat lazy, Martin, while allowing the annoying-but-driven Frank to remain.

It served to reinforce that getting scrappy has its rewards. Martin was a complainer. “I’m tired” and “I have to pee”.   Geez, even my teenage daughters know that if they want to achieve something they have to hike ‘em up and work for it. …and they’re not even trying to prove their worth on national television!