New student post: Moving my writing from "all about me" to "what the reader expects to get" has been an interesting journey. Simple examples like this bring the point home easily, many thanks.

And Nev, you even misspelled "mispelled" :)

[…] robot. Instead, they get language that pops, dances, sways side to side, is super useful and makes jokes. Just like Medhora does when he […]

David your observation is spot on. His message speaks to a An era that would've understood exactly what he meant.

Our comments are the equivalent of Monday morning quarterbacks thanks to the Internet chortles and twirling away now.

That reminds me of something that happened ten years ago or so.

Our son was checking the shopping list.

"Hahaha, did you see how Dad spelled 'juice'?"

I went to check, and it was spelled "juice".

"Yeah, why?"

"Erm... I'm not so sure now."

I never discovered how my son spelled juice.

Seriously? You actually believe this guy didn't want a job but all he aspired to do was to make a political statement?

But even so, what's the statement? That somebody owes him something (a job?) because he's got 3 kids, because he fought in the war, because he speaks three languages, because he's skilled at three different trades?

No matter during what time in history there has always been unemployment, sometimes less, and sometimes more, but never ever have somebody been 'owed' something just because he's a citizen of that country. At least not in the U.S.

It's called capitalism. And I love it. It basically means that the more people you serve, the more money you can make. And it's about trade; You can trade goods, you can trade services, or you can trade a service (your time) for money (i.e. get a job).

That's what a free market place is all about. But, in a free market place you cannot sit on your ass thinking people will come up to you and offer you opportunities just because you're a good person and/or have a great idea.

In order for you to prosper you need to SELL yourself and your idea.

Everybody talking about prostitution being the oldest profession in the world but it's not true; What do you think made that possible in the first place? SALES.

Sales (marketing) is the oldest profession in the world and the MOST VALUABLE skill in the world bar none!

If you know how to SELL you'll always be able to feed yourself and your family; Even in the worst of recessions and depressions.

And THAT'S what's being taught here: How to sell with the written word; I.e. Copywriting...

Here's a modern day example of asking for a job with poor copy:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2256527/Employ-Adam-Pacitti-Unemployed-graduate-24-spends-500-billboard-advert-job.html

Interesting. Looking at his site he now has a job and got 60 solid job offers from the campaign. I guess some different advertising with bad copy is better than conventional or none at all.

If this was during the Great Depression (?)

It's not cool to exploit this guy's situation.. He was just trying to put bread on the table to feed his family

AND

There's not much space for him to put all the information you wanted him to put

As always, you force me to click the link in the mail and come to your site. I love your unique take on articles.

While selling our product/service, we forget the most basic thing:

We are not selling the offer. We are selling the value behind the offer.

Am I right, Neville?

Damn, you're good at this.

I absolutely agree with the WIIFM. I've been using this when writing bios for rescue cats (I volunteer at a shelter in Philadelphia - anybody want a gorgeous grey declawed cat with an attitude?).

I'd also like to add something that I'm sure Neville drills into his own customers and students - the importance of context (or Kontext).

The fact that the man is out here with sign is creating a context for reading his "job wanted" ad. Simply by walking around with a "Job Wanted" sign suggests that he's desperate and he wants to be rescued, completely contradicting the notion of a self-motivated, can-do person.

In my building I sometimes find menus from restaurants slipped under my door; we're very urban and we get a lot of meal deliveries, so the restaurants take the opportunity to distribute menus. Finding a menu under my door creates a nuisance and makes me wonder if they're any good; in fact the worst restaurants tend to do this.

Your brand creates a context, too. We read differently if we've heard the name before.

I actually agree. I wouldn't go so far as to say anything about blinders because NevMed probably ignored the circumstantial information to make a Kopy lesson out of it.

But yes, the guy was most probably part of an activist group that was demonstrating something about unemployment, somewhere. His goal was not to find a job that day but to illustrate the part about how he is "seemingly qualified" and yet doesn't have a job.

I say seemingly qualified because this goes to a time when knowing more languages than one, serving one's country and knowing more trades than one were the hallmarks of employed men providing for their families.

If he were at a job fair, however, NevMed's Kopy would have gotten the guy a job when he was picking up his nametag at the door at 10am that morning.

Relevancy matters people.

But NevMed's example is just too awesome to get hung up on spellings or what's not relevant.

Thanks NevMededededed... *echos out*

Hi Neville, I lately work for a Gujarati company which deals with premium sofas & chairs including imported Italian sofas and chairs.

Now, it's been my 5th day with the company & I found it pretty unprofessional (though they have pan India presence & have their yearly turnover of billions of ₹).

Their tagline is "Ooh for the looks, Aah for the comfort". Honestly, I find it pretty naive/irrelevant.

I have some other suggestions along with a print ad plan. I long to share it with you & want your opinion on it too.

Please let me know if I can :]

Grammarly!! It's amazing will fix this for you... I'm the same - I tend to focus a lot more about connecting to the audience, getting the point across & the concept than the detail.

Good point Neville. People NEED to stop trying to guilt others into doing stuff for em.

[…] You can find this article at https://copywritingcourse.com/why-this-guy-is-still-totally-poor/ […]

I LOVE this. On so many levels. The "WIIFM" question is something I try to share with the professional artists I consult who always craft their "about" page with "me, me, me, I, I, I, did this, this, this."

Nev, you're brilliant. And your emails are some of the few I actually subscribe to (and read and save)!

I loved this! Although I’m not in copywriting technically, your blog and advice is always in mind while I write my blogs and newsletters.

Eye-catching and worthy post. Don't forget to double check your spelling. Any misspelled words detract from your professional message and aura of expertise. In this case, you missed the mark on Sergeant. You typed Seagent instead.

Hello Abdul, I feel you, how it feels bad when we see bad designs, and bad copy!

But my friend I guess we need to understand that:

No matter how many rules the design or copy breaks, if it works it SIMPLY works. No arguments

I imagine he would've gotten a few job offers that very day with the new pitch. :-)

Hi Neville, your examples are the best...whenever i read them, i say to myself, yeah sounds much better, why didn't i think of that. I'm new to copywriting and i love learning, thanks!

Well glad you're learning from these examples Penny! More are coming too :)

Hi Nevil,

I have already seen many copywriters but I honestly admit your examples are far the easiest to understand and very very useful! Thank you for your great work! :) With love, Erika