49: How to cut down your time, increase your creativity, and embrace and sell your own genius with Jessica Fearnley
In this episode of ill communication, I’m excited to introduce you to one of my favorite people in online business- Jessica Fearnley! I was recently a guest on her show, The Seven Figure Consultant Podcast, and it was so good that I just had to share it with you in this episode.
Jessica is very much someone who I'd consider a Renaissance woman. She's an incredibly talented, passionate, and smart business coach. She specializes in helping women transition from 6 to 7 figures in their consulting firms, and she helps women earn more by working less. She's been named one of the top LinkedIn voices for entrepreneurship and small business and is passionate about closing the gender pay gap for women in consulting. So I'm sure you can see why I love her!
Jessica is a mom to school-aged children and she's built her business to provide plenty of time to spend with her kids in the UK and on adventures abroad. Plus, she's a former rock queen, and from time to time, you can catch her sharing her gorgeous vocals on social media. So definitely follow her.
We cover a few things related to copy and business building, including when to outsource copy or other tasks in your business, common mistakes people make on their websites, and how to combine inspiration with habit to write more effectively.
Plus you’ll get a few other juicy tips and tactics to help you cut down your time, increase your creativity and embrace and sell your own genius!
Topics We Cover in This Episode:
How to know if it’s time to reach out to a copywriter
How having a copywriter can be transformative for a business owner
Tips for optimizing your website copy
Why your copy should attract the right people and repel the wrong people
How a copywriter can help present you in the most beautiful light
What copywriting formulas can do for you and the top three formulas you need to know
How to reduce the overwhelm in your business and stay inspired
I hope you enjoyed this conversation with Jessica and that it gave you some inspiration and ideas for elevating your copywriting.
Jessica is a very successful business coach, and if you're aiming to grow from 6 to 7 figures in your consulting business, you have to follow her. You can find Jessica at her website at JessicaFearnley.com. You should also follow her on LinkedIn and subscribe to her newsletter, The Seven Figure Consultant Newsletter, and be sure to follow and subscribe to her podcast, The Seven Figure Consultant Podcast.
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[00:00:03] Welcome to Ill Communication, Copywriting, Tips and sales strategies for small Business. I'm your host, Kim Keel. I'm a copy coach, sales strategist and direct response copywriter. It's my mission to help women leaders and change makers amplify their voices through copy. It's why I'm dishing out all the juicy tips, writing prompts and sales formulas to help you generate more leads, book more calls, and get more high value clients on repeat. Sounds pretty good. It's time to ditch the overwhelm you might be feeling and find confidence in your copywriting so you can get your message out there and attract more soulmate clients. Let's get started. Hello, my lovely friend. I am absolutely thrilled to record the intro for this episode because [00:01:00] today you are going to meet or potentially be reintroduced to one of my favorite people in online business. As I announced in my last episode. Throughout the next few weeks of the summer, I'm mixing in a few episodes that are replays of podcasts that had me on as a guest. I've hand-picked these episodes because I believe you will hear something new you haven't heard on this podcast already, or at least you'll hear it in a new way. And because I think these hosts are women you should know and follow today, you get to meet Jessica Fernley. Jessica is very much someone who I'd consider a Renaissance woman.
[00:01:42] She's an incredibly talented, passionate and smart business coach. She specializes in helping women transition from 6 to 7 figures in their consulting firms, and she helps women earn more by working less. She's been named one of the top LinkedIn [00:02:00] voices for entrepreneurship and small business and is passionate about closing the gender pay gap for women in consulting. So I'm sure you can see why I love her. Jessica is a mom to school aged children and she's built her business to provide plenty of time to spend with her kids in the UK and on adventures abroad. Plus, she's a former rock queen, and from time to time, you can catch her sharing her gorgeous vocals on social media. So definitely follow her. What you're about to hear next is an episode I recorded with Jessica on her podcast, the seven Figure Consultant podcast. We cover a few things related to copy and business building, including when to outsource copy or other tasks in your business. Common mistakes people make on their websites. How to combine inspiration with habit to write more effectively. Plus a few other juicy tips and tactics to help you cut down your time, increase your creativity and embrace and [00:03:00] sell your own genius. It is really a great conversation. So let's get into Jessica's episode now.
[00:03:08] You're listening to the Figure Consultant podcast with Jessica Fernley. Hi there and welcome to this week's episode of the seven Figure Consultant podcast with me, Jessica Finley. Now today I'm joined by a very special guest. I'm joined by Kim Kale. Kim is a direct response copywriter and general copywriting genius person. Welcome to the show, Kim.
[00:03:34] Oh, thanks, Jessica. Thanks for having me.
[00:03:37] Now, I'd love to ask you before we kind of dive into what we're going to talk about today, what has been your journey to get to where you are now? Did you always do copywriting? What's the story behind your business?
[00:03:49] I think like everybody, the road is winding. But when I actually look back at all of the decisions and choices that I've made through my university education and [00:04:00] then the jobs that I got after that, they all incorporated communications and writing. I actually have a degree in environmental science, and when I was in environmental sciences, there was very little English requirement like no writing, no communication and thought, How are we going to solve this massive environmental problem if we can't talk to people about it? So I actually had to write a letter to get approval to take additional writing and communications courses. And so I sat down and wrote this very persuasive letter to the faculty. And basically they came back and said, Well, if you can write a letter that good yet, you should definitely take some communications courses. And I've just kind of carried that natural ability to write persuasively and elegantly through every job that I've had. I worked a lot in fundraising and fund development where you have to get really good at creating a connection with a donor [00:05:00] or a grant maker, getting them to open their heart and their wallet. And as I've moved more into freelance and consulting and doing this work for businesses and business owners, I find that I still pull some of that reaching out and trying to touch the hearts and minds of the reader to then get them to take an action. So there's all kinds of different copywriters and some specialize in creative writing or content, blog writing, social media writing. I specialize in what's called direct response copywriting, which means I write copy that helps people lead to a desired action. Whether that is clicking a link in an email, pushing the buy button for a product or a service or booking a consultation call, and then of course generating a little bit of revenue with that too.
[00:05:50] Excellent. And yeah, so anyone who is curious, I really don't always say this at this point in the episode, but I honestly really recommend that you go to Kim's website and have a look because I went there for the first time [00:06:00] when I was just like, Oh, this is such a great example of good copywriting. Thank you. I'm quite a writer person. That's such a it's ironic. That's such an inelegant way to put it. But, you know, I really enjoy it. I always read a lot as well, and I've been interested in writing my whole life. But honestly, I went to your website for the first time, Kim and I was just like, even like your little announcement for the cookies was like, You've done that so well.
[00:06:27] So thank you. I mean, it took like anyone who's sitting down to write their material, it didn't happen overnight. Like I literally agonized over how to write that and how to pare it down and how to simplify and how to make sure that it was a blend of elegance and persuasion and a little bit of delight through like that cookie bar that you're talking about. Yeah, Thank you.
[00:06:50] I imagine actually, for people listening to this episode, they may be tuning in literally because they're like, Oh my gosh, copywriting, I just hate it. And I know that that's something [00:07:00] that you either love it or you hate it, don't you? But even if you do love it, it's often very wise to get someone else involved in writing your copy for you. In terms of guess where our listeners might find themselves, do you have anything to say about when you know that you need a copywriter? Like when? When should you be doing it yourself and getting input from someone else? And when should you just take the whole thing and outsource it to someone else? Because we've been talking a lot about what it means to be a CEO in your business on this podcast recently, and it's a drum. I'm going to keep banging everyone. So if you're not persuaded yet, you know, buckle up your seat belt because we've been talking about it for the next few months. But when should you really be looking to give this to someone else and not be doing it yourself? Is the principal consultant in your business?
[00:07:47] That's a great question and it is one that we all struggle with as business owners. Typically, when you're starting out, you have to do everything. You have to understand the nuance of writing. You have to understand that you need a website [00:08:00] and then how to speak about yourself on it. I find that there comes a point in most business owners journey when they are probably a year to a year and a half in. They've had that website and they know it's. Just not hitting the mark. They know that it doesn't really articulate exactly what they do. Or the other thing that I hear a lot of business owners say is like, I just feel like I'm vomited my words all over the page. Like they just put so many words on there that you can't actually find those golden nuggets when people are hitting the six figure mark and above. I think then it's sort of a milestone when you could consider outsourcing some things. A lot of people will outsource some of the copywriting to their assistant and their VA, but when you actually are ready to hire a copywriter who is experienced and brings a lot of strategy and expertise to the table, you definitely need to be at that certain level to be able to afford the [00:09:00] kind of copywriting that's actually going to help you take that next leap, find that next level of client launch, that next course. So yeah, I usually, I think it's around that sort of 6 to 7 figure mark where it really makes a lot of sense to outsource that.
[00:09:15] And would you say at that stage it's often when you know what someone is doing in their business is starting to be more about email marketing and sort of not quite a mass audience maybe, but it's not necessarily something we talk about a lot here on the show as well, is the fact that with a B2B consulting model, a lot of it is about more maybe more traditional ways of selling. So it's about relationships. It's often about the personal touch, like actually sending someone a personal letter or email or phoning them, whatever that might look like in your particular business. And the way that you actually reach out to your clients, the media that you use for that. But actually that's true in the early stages. So until you're you're fully booked with clients. But then when we start to talk about scaling and [00:10:00] having things that you might be selling, like maybe an online course, which I know lots of women in my audience are in the process of doing or already starting to do, It starts to matter a lot more what you say, doesn't it? Because actually you can see a direct like link to how well an email performs and literally who who clicks and buys at the end of that process.
[00:10:20] There is a ton of copy that you need to write when you're launching a course, especially if you're trying to get a decent number of people into that course. You need your emails to introduce that you're offering a course, then you're selling the course, Then you are onboarding people into the course, whether it's a course or a membership. Those welcome emails are critical because as you're welcoming people into your program or your membership, those people become your ambassadors and you want them to actually get into the course and do the work and then they stay with you longer if they feel [00:11:00] like they're having those results. So that email sequence is actually very, very important. When you're running a company, a consultancy and you have 1 to 1 work and course work, you cannot do it all. And a lot of the business owners that I work with, the common phrase that they say is, I just I need to take this off my plate. I can't handle this anymore. Something needs to go off my plate and I don't want to be reviewing it a million times. So if someone's writing it for me, I don't want to have to like go back and forth all these times. So it really takes a pro to come in and understand your voice, understand your offer, understand your customer, and be able to put that all together into compelling copy.
[00:11:37] Yeah, absolutely. So I really like what you're saying about it being like a thing. If your business is at the low six figures or maybe even up to seven figures, that's the time to be thinking about this, because I think what I see a lot of is women with fairly new consulting businesses. And, you know, we all do this at some point, don't we? But the thought is it's kind of scary to go out there and sell high ticket. [00:12:00] I'm going to sell low ticket. I'm going to make a small video product. I'm going to do a course. I'm going to do a membership, whatever it might be. I will do that and make my millions through doing that. But actually, I always say to people, if you're not fully booked with 1 to 1 clients, then it's really not a good time to be investing in that low ticket scalable income. You actually need the the non scalable like do it all yourself. You know, you can still get help at that stage if you want to, but it kind of it comes into its own when you're really talking about those kind of scaling businesses and all that kind of thing. At the six figure mark, doesn't it?
[00:12:35] There are a lot of tools available for the I'm just starting out entrepreneur. There are lots of small courses that you can take, templates that you can buy, so you can do it yourself. A lot of copywriters offer audits so they can actually you can get their eyes on your copy and they can maybe help improve it a little bit. But it's really once you're in that expanding and [00:13:00] growing role that you need to start building your team to step into that role and having a copywriter, whether it's full time in your business part time or just on a project basis to come in and help you do some of that heavy lifting. Can really be transformative for a business owner.
[00:13:18] Absolutely. So is there anything you can tell us about the common copywriting mistakes that you tend to see? So about there in the wide world. But when people come to you for your help and your input on their business or their website or whatever it might be that they need you to write copy for, what kind of things do you see them doing?
[00:13:35] You bet. I see sort of two, two main camps. One is the business owner, especially in B2B, doesn't actually say what they're doing. It's you see the logo up at the top and then suddenly it starts launching into packages or frameworks. But it doesn't actually say I'm a consultant for X type of business and I help you create [00:14:00] X type of transformation. Like you kind of need that simple statement right up at the top that clearly explains what you do so that when someone is standing in the middle of the grocery store line up and they're scrolling their phone and they're like, didn't reply to that email, let me check out who she's all about. And they're looking at your website on their phone. They can see how instantly you can help them. Then maybe when they do have time, they'll be compelled to go back and review that. So that's sort of one camp is you don't clearly articulate what you do. The other side is it is full of corporate jargon and too wordy and too much in industry insider information. And it's not simplified enough for the person who's reading it on the other side.
[00:14:48] So even though we're selling business to business, we're still selling human to human. And you have to be able to speak that human language that your reader is actually wanting to and craving to read. And that actually [00:15:00] can help you stand out in the marketplace because so many of those B2B businesses and consulting websites are just boring and drab. And if you can elevate it with a little bit of personality and some simpler language, it can instantly make you stand out. One little tip if I can offer, is on your home page. Count how many times you use the word I or we or us or are our business. Does this will come in and help you do this? We are known for this count. How many times you say we us our and then count how many times you say you your your business, your you's and yours should vastly outnumber the I's, us and Y's. And if you can simply rewrite some of those sentences and those headlines so that you frame it in the you language, you will instantly create a better connection with your reader.
[00:15:56] Amazing. Yeah, It's so. It's so funny, isn't it? Sometimes [00:16:00] I think we've all had the experience of going to someone else's website and just coming out being like, read all your stuff, but like what do you do for things? And sometimes it just really isn't clear that like on the opposite side of that, like I, I wanted to research a local business recently and I noticed they clearly done some kind of online training because there it really stood out from their competitors. It was all about, you have this problem, you tried this solution, it didn't work. That was very frustrating. And you know, that really entertain me because obviously that's if you have an online business, you totally know those things, don't you? And I was like, I'm going to go with you because you get marks from me for knowing the theory and really applying it.
[00:16:41] Well, yes, and it gives you a sense. It's part of that know like and trust factor that we all need, whether you're working one on one with someone or if you're first interaction with someone is through your digital assets, whether it's an email or your website. If you can articulate what the problem, you know, they're suffering and [00:17:00] provide the solution and demonstrate that you have the experience to do so, it goes miles for your business and becomes sort of your 24 over seven salesperson when you know, maybe you want to go and spend time with your family. You've got your website. They're doing a lot of that heavy lifting.
[00:17:19] Absolutely. Think that's a really important thing to remember because when you're struggling with something, think we like to make corporate sales about kind of, you know, the facts and the figures and the conversation. And actually we're all people, aren't we? We all feel stuff and think as women. That's something which is kind of our secret weapon sometimes because we're willing to go there and we're willing to show that we do understand exactly what it feels like. And quite often it's not a battle of the logic and and the mind, is it? It's a battle of the heart. And when you get that heart. Yes. From someone I love those kind of sales calls when you can tell that the person has already decided before they even speak to you that they're a yes because it's a yes from the heart. And yeah, that's using your copy [00:18:00] to achieve that is is a really good thing to be getting your website to do for you exactly what you're saying so you can be doing whatever you like, but your website is out there working hard for you.
[00:18:10] It's working hard for you both to attract the right customers. To you and then to do some of that pre-selling.
[00:18:18] Absolutely. And tied to that, there's there's a really interesting principle, isn't there, about the attracting the right people and repelling the wrong people. Remember when I heard that for the first time, it blew my mind a bit because I was like, how do you repel the wrong people? I don't know if that's something that that you kind of found people just being like, what? As you've kind of explained that whole theory to them?
[00:18:41] Yeah, that's a good question. It kind of comes down to that whole niche or niche argument. Am I going to actually claim a niche? Am I going to go all in on this type of business or this type of person? And then how do you articulate that on your page? How do you call out those attributes? [00:19:00] And it's also comes in with your personality. So our personalities don't necessarily want to work with all kinds of personalities. So when you showcase your personality on the page, a lot of people are a little bit apprehensive and thinking, Oh, it might not appeal to some people, but it's probably gonna not appeal to the wrong people, right? Those wrong people for you are the ones who are going to be repelled. Because if you're attracting someone who isn't aligned with you, your personality and your values, they're probably going to be red flag clients.
[00:19:33] Absolutely. Think that's a really interesting point, actually, because certainly in the first few years of my business, I think I felt quite a lot of pressure to sometimes like be someone that maybe I was a bit, but like it wasn't my like core self. And I think a lot of women can struggle with this. It's like, tell me how you want me to be and I will be that so we can work together. Whereas the more that we show our own personality and think your own website is a really good example of this [00:20:00] actually. But like if people read it and they think, Yeah, well I really don't like what I'm seeing here, then you just think, Well, you're not going to like me as a person. Then if like, if I'm being myself, even in the words that I'm using and it's not something that appeals to you, then that saves us from having to explore whether we're a good fit. Because clearly we aren't. So it's a clever little thing that we can be putting into play in making sure that the people that we speak to, they really are the best fit clients from day one and not kind of inviting people into that onboarding sales process when there are just obvious red flags, you know, that we don't even need to speak to them to know that they're there.
[00:20:37] Exactly. Exactly. I kind of want to just reflect on something for a moment, if I can. A lot of people, especially women, business owners, they don't resonate with that sort of boss babe. Hey, girl friend. There's a misconception that in order to have personality on your page, you have to be talking like that and you absolutely do not. Personality can be just throwing [00:21:00] in that you like to have a little matcha latte at 3:00 pm in the afternoon. Or it can be, you know that you're a really bookish, nerdy type person and using that instead, like really leveraging your brains and your smarts and your maturity as part of your personality and not having to think that you have to play into that sort of, Hey girl, let's be besties, because that works for a lot of people and follow those brands and write for those brands. But that's not who I am as a business owner, and that's not how many female business owners want to present themselves in the marketplace.
[00:21:38] Yeah, and I think particularly for consultants like we don't want to play the female entrepreneur game guess like we don't want to have everything in pink and be all, you know, you wouldn't talk to your clients like that quite often, especially if you're selling to men in a corporate workplace. If you went in or like, Oh, it's just not going to help your brand or your credibility with those people. [00:22:00] But it's kind of hard sometimes, isn't it, to to actually be brave enough to show that bit of your personality. I can think of several examples where it's been a real struggle for women to to kind of let those little chinks through and show actually what they do think about things and who they are as a person when they're not working because we can have such strong rules for ourselves, can't we, about I need to be this and I can't be this. And it's very freeing actually, to get to a point where you can just be like, I can just be myself. I can say the things I want to say, and that actually helps my brand. It doesn't detract from it.
[00:22:34] Yes. And sometimes it takes an outside person to be able to see that in you and to give permission to celebrate. What's awesome about you and really draw attention to you for those reasons, and that is something that women absolutely struggle with, is talking about how amazing we are. But when you have a copywriter who can do that for you and who can position it in a way that shows your authority and shows your expertise, [00:23:00] a lot of my female business owners cry when they read the copy that I present to them because they feel so seen, so held and like presented in this beautiful, beautiful light. And like, that's honestly, the most awesome moment for me is when people are responding that way.
[00:23:18] Absolutely. I love that in my work as well, because one of the big things that I end up doing with my clients is helping them to see themselves the way the world sees them. Because there's so often and I think we all experience this to some extent, but certain personality types experience this a lot more than others. But like, you know, we have this almost this feeling of like, I'm not very good at this and I'm a bit rubbish at that. And then to actually put yourself in that place of visibility and have to say, I am very good at this and I'm very accomplished and I am the expert in my field. That can be something which is very emotional for all of us, isn't it? Because it's just that realization. I am so much more awesome than I realize. I feel uncomfortable [00:24:00] even saying it as a joke, but you know, that is a really true thing, isn't it? And I think that's a really important shift actually, that often women need to make in their businesses is just allowing the world to see you as you are and also realizing that you are so much better at everything than you give yourself credit for. I think it's also.
[00:24:19] I mean, this is something that I struggle with in my own business and showing up as an authority, as an expert. But one of my own mindset coaches reflected back to me that if you think about there's people out there who need you. People or businesses need what you can offer because it's going to help change their lives. Just that little reframe allows me to be okay with showing up as a bit more of an expert and to saying this is what I'm actually good at and this is why. And here's some testimonials and case studies that show you that I am actually awesome at this, But just that sort of mindset [00:25:00] shift of it's not about me. It's about making sure that the people who need me can find me and then choose to work with me.
[00:25:06] Absolutely. Absolutely. So in terms of like actual copywriting technique, you've talked before about kind of copywriting formulas and how they can be helpful. And tell us a little bit about that because that sounds really interesting.
[00:25:20] I was a writer for two decades in government and then nonprofit, and I would sit at the computer agonizing for hours about what to write and how to write. When I transitioned into the online business world and discovered what I had been doing was actually called copywriting, and then I learned the practice of copywriting. I was introduced to copywriting formulas which have been used since the early newspaper days, the late 1800s. Ad men, ad women and writers have developed these copywriting formulas that are based on persuasion and human behavior, how we [00:26:00] like to make decisions. So if you write using a copywriting formula, it actually gives your mind a roadmap and your creativity, a roadmap to actually write down and get things from that, like chaos, like don't know what to write to actually sitting down and writing something. So there are actually three copywriting formulas that everyone should know. And if you employ these at least just to get you started in writing your copy, you can still shift things around and move it. But I find that by constraining your mind to follow these formulas, it helps to improve your creativity. It gets you started, it gets you moving. I mean, there's all kinds of research that talks about how constraint improves creativity. The pandemic is a perfect example of how we were constrained by resource, by things shutting down, and we had to innovate in our businesses. So copywriting formulas are like a little micro ecosystem of how that works. So one of the most [00:27:00] popular copywriting formulas is Aida or Aida, which stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.
[00:27:09] So you can use this formula as a subject line on an email as the headline on your website. You can also use it to organize the arguments on a page on a sales letter or in a proposal. So you lead with something that's going to be very attention getting suffering from arthritis. Here's a new way to to cure arthritis, you know, just something that's very attention getting. Then your next section would be all about driving that interest, creating the desire of the transformation that you create. And then the final A Aida is how to take action. So that's where you would have click here, Buy Now book a call. So just that simple formula for how to lay out your page can actually help you start writing words on a page. So Aida is a really popular [00:28:00] copywriting formula and you'll find it all over the place. But it dates back to the early 1900s in the early ad days. Another one which actually you mentioned at the beginning of our talk today, Jessica, is problem, agitation, solution. As you were reflecting on that website that you saw, where they start with the problem, they agitate the problem and then they provide the solution. So this is a great formula for things like Facebook ads, for emails, also for yeah, for headlines and subject lines. These two formulas are great when people maybe are just getting to know you, they don't know you so well. It gives you the sort of introduction they get introduced to how you work and what you do and the solution you provide.
[00:28:47] As someone gets more through that funnel and relationship of getting to know you. There's the third copywriting formula that isn't used as often, but when you know it, you'll see it and it's called the P4 and it stands [00:29:00] for picture Promise Prove Push. This one was invented in the late 1950s and 1960s. But you start out by painting the picture of what it is like to work with you. So if you ever see on a sales page or a website where it says, imagine this, your calendar filled with prospects, booked calls, imagine your bank account overflowing. You know, it's that imagine or picture this sentence. Then it comes from picture to promise. So this is where you lay out your overall offer. For This is when you work with me, I promise that you're going to achieve these results, prove you stack it up with some social proof, some testimonials, and then you give them the push. So if next year you don't want to be in the same place you are this year, let's work together or whatever reason there would be to push or create some urgency or scarcity to have them want to work with you. When you actually sit down, it [00:30:00] helps. If you have one of these formulas in front of you, it just gets that typing started, it gets the pen writing, and it really helps you constrain your thinking in your words so that you can write something that actually will help sell your services.
[00:30:18] Yeah, I think that's really important, isn't it? Because I don't know. I've done a lot of like writing, so I stayed in academia for a while and I wrote a lot of essays and some long dissertations. And one of the things that I learned actually, which I think would be my biggest thing when I'm trying to do my own copywriting, which I outsource some of it, but do some of it myself, is just write it the way that it's in your head because you can sit looking at that blank page for such a long time, can't you? Being like, Oh, that first sentence is rubbish and try and get it perfect. Quite often what I will do is put opening sentence and then just jump straight in with wherever my brain is with what I want to say next. And then I come back to it when I finished and I'm like, [00:31:00] Mm. That actually was quite a good opening sentence. I'm just going to delete where it says opening sentence, we're done. But I think we kind of, we block ourselves sometimes, don't we, just by almost wanting it to come out perfect, but being willing to make something which is a bit messy might need a little bit of rewriting. I often find that often it just it sounds fine when I read it through and you know, you come back to it and you're like, Gosh, did I write that? That sounds quite good.
[00:31:27] We're our own worst critics, first of all. Second of all, the what you've just described is what in the copywriting world we call a crappy first draft. So you just set out to write, just write a poor first draft, just get it out. And there's definitely going to be golden nuggets in there.
[00:31:46] Absolutely. So in terms of. I guess, beating that overwhelm that we can get because, you know, it's one thing to sort of know the the formula, isn't it? But then when you sit down to write, it can just [00:32:00] be like, how can we get more comfortable, I guess, with with that whole process of writing and being willing to get it wrong and knowing sort of where to go with our writing. Like, would you say it's better just to to practice and get comfortable? Or if you feel that overwhelm, is that a sign that you just you need to get someone else to do it for you?
[00:32:18] I don't think there's any right or wrong answer that overwhelm we experience when we're trying to sit down and do our bookkeeping or when, you know, we have to decide what we're going to make for dinner tonight or when we're going to sit down and write something for our website. And it's just finding those tools or the templates that help us achieve that goal. So whether it's the mindset shift of how am I going to be helpful to someone today? Which formula am I going to start with when I sit down and write this and just kind of stop overthinking and just go through the actions to get it done? In terms of the overwhelm, I think it's when in your business in general, you are feeling overwhelmed [00:33:00] by all the things. That's when you need to start bringing on a bookkeeper. Maybe you need to outsource some of your content to a content writer. Maybe you do need to bring in a copywriter to review your sales sequence and make sure that it is doing that heavy lifting for you.
[00:33:16] Yeah, absolutely. And would you say that it's best to write when you feel inspired or do you think sometimes is it Tom Sawyer who says the application of the backside to the seat? That's the hardest thing about writing. That's probably a horrible misquote. But do you think we should, you know, say at 10:00 on Tuesday, I will sit and I will write this? Or do you think it's more helpful to wait until you feel the inspiration?
[00:33:39] It's kind of both. I think it's when you are inspired, have a way to capture that inspiration. So a lot of people will use voice notes, voice memos as they're driving around in the car and that inspiration hits them. You like leave yourself a voice memo about what that inspiration was so that when it's the 10:00 on Tuesday when you have your time blocked to [00:34:00] do your content writing or your copywriting, then you open this whole mini library of ideas and inspiration. Again, when you constrain your writing by time, you can actually be more creative. And as someone who is a, you know, the president of the procrastination club, like until I get to that like 11th hour, I feel like I can't write anything. So I've had to sort of manufacture those mini deadlines so that my creativity and my just my spirit can get writing. So it's whatever works to get that out. But it's also yes, when you're inspired, go for it, but have a way to capture it because sometimes you can't just sit at your computer and write for six hours.
[00:34:42] Oh, that's great advice. That's really helpful. And always make sure that you give yourself enough clues about what the thought was, because I've done that before. I have like a really big Trello board where a lot of my ideas go and then sometimes I'll write one sentence and when I write it, I'm like, I totally know what that is, and you come back to it and you're like, What was? That's [00:35:00] not even really an idea. It's just a sentence, really, the.
[00:35:03] Thing about.
[00:35:05] An analogy, but. Amazing. So where can people come and find out more about you and how you can help if they're coming off this thinking, Oh my goodness, help me? Or if it's just, you know, started that spark of I'd really like to improve my copywriting technique.
[00:35:23] Yeah. So if it's just that spark of want to improve my copywriting technique, I have a free download available on my website and it is like a 15 page checklist of ways that you can improve your copy. So it's some of those tips like the You versus I. It talks a little bit about some of the copywriting formulas that I've mentioned today and a few other just sort of very basic tips that if you can follow them, can instantly amp up the magnetic attraction of your copy. You can get that at my website and that's where you can also connect with me, which is triple skim Quill.com. So [00:36:00] Khimki ELLE.com, if you scroll to the very bottom of that page, you'll see where the link to get that magnetic checklist is. I'm also on LinkedIn, I'm active on Facebook and I'm dabbling on Instagram. But it's. Kind of still feeling like the elderly person on there. And I've started to sort of hang out in some clubhouse rooms. So there's just a few ways to catch up. And definitely if any of your listeners want to, they can DM me or send me an email. I'm happy to, happy to chat.
[00:36:32] Amazing. And we'll make sure that the link to your free download and your website is also in the show notes to this episode. While Kim, thank you so much for joining me today. I've really enjoyed sort of talking about this and I know that people listening will have taken away a lot of useful, actionable tips that they can. I'm sure people are sitting there now being like, must find all the aisles and the weeds on my website is pretty great to have that sort of practical approach and not just kind of know the theory, but actually [00:37:00] be doing things differently as a result because it really does make a big difference for the long term, doesn't it?
[00:37:05] It does. And I think you sort of alluded to something there, which is just like, don't overthink it, don't over complicate it. Just really try to simplify it for yourself. And there are tools that can help you do that. So are you in love with Jessica? She has such a beautiful, quiet but powerful presence, which I find so refreshing in what is often a loud, over, enthusiastic, overhyped marketing landscape. Jessica is a very successful business coach, and if you're aiming to grow from 6 to 7 figures in your consulting business, you have to follow her. You can find Jessica at her website at Jessica fernley.com. You should definitely follow her on LinkedIn and subscribe to her newsletter, the seven Figure Consultant newsletter and be sure to follow and subscribe to her podcast, The seven Figure Consultant Podcast. Wherever you're listening to this podcast, I'll drop all the links [00:38:00] into the show notes so you can connect with Jessica on your own, and I hope you'll come back and join me next week because I'm going to talk about some of my favorite business and copywriting books. And one of them just might surprise you. Or maybe it won't. I'll see you then. Thanks for listening to this week's episode of Ill Communication. Hey, if you enjoy these snack sized strategies and tips, you'll want to join my VIP Copy and Cocktails club. It's my email newsletter where I share more copy tips, sales strategies and the occasional recipe for my favorite beverage or appetizer du jour. To subscribe, visit Khimki NHL.com Slash Newsletter. Thanks for tuning in.
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