“I’m not good enough to sell copywriting services to clients. I need to learn more.”
You know how often I hear that excuse from writers?
More than I can count.
But it’s not just an excuse. It’s a revelation.
Because you’re openly admitting that you’re scared.
Let me show you what I mean…
From plunking strings to leading a band
In college, I lived on a dorm floor with about a dozen guys who could all play guitar.
Any hour of the day, there was probably somebody in their room strumming away.
I love music, so this was great… except I couldn’t play any instruments myself.
Acoustic guitar being one of my favorite instruments, I started to play everybody else’s guitars.
My roommate let me borrow his and showed me how to get started.
I printed chords off the internet and began teaching myself how to play.
This worked well for a while, until I moved away from that dorm. Suddenly, my motivation to keep going dipped.
In the years since college, I would take out my guitar once in a while, strum it for a few weeks, then forget about it.
I wasn’t going to perform anywhere, so there was nothing motivating me.
Several years ago, my wife and I helped start a band at our church to lead worship services.
After a couple years, our guitar player had to quit.
Seeing a chance, I jumped in and said I would take over eventually.
This meant learning how to play guitar for real… and performing in front of hundreds of people.
The first time I played guitar solo, I spent most of the service leading up to the song sweating through my suit (literally).
After the song, many members of the congregation thanked me and told me to do it more often.
The next month, I was the main guitar player for our band.
I didn’t feel comfortable.
I didn’t feel like I was suddenly good at it.
But I was good enough. And everyone appreciate it.
Then… the experts came in.
Playing my amateur guitar in front of the pros
There was some turnover earlier this year, and the person who organized our band performances left.
Her position was taken over by a new couple to the congregation.
This couple had led the music department at another church.
The husband teaches how to play guitar.
They play multiple instruments.
They are no joke – the real deal – the professionals at this stuff.
I was terrified to play in front of them.
Why?
Because this is where I’d be found out.
They’d expect me – a guitar player for a band – to have a certain level of experience and skill.
Who knew what kind of music they’d pick out?
My lack of ability would be exposed.
At the first rehearsal with the new crew, I took several deep breaths before I started playing.
I even had a song where I would be the only instrument playing – something I had never done with the band before.
Throughout the practice, they never pointed out any problems.
They never corrected anything I was doing.
And at the end of it, they complimented me on how I did.
They loved my playing… even if I didn’t feel like I was doing very well.
I still feel the Imposter Syndrome around them – but there’s no reason to.
This is how I started writing copy
In April 2008, I was just a guy who wanted to write for a living – almost graduated from college.
I didn’t try to get more training.
I didn’t hand copy a bunch of old promotions.
I didn’t build a swipe file.
All I did was start reaching out to potential clients… and within days I was able to quit my job waiting tables because I found so much work.
As it turns out, even without any “formal” copywriting lessons or practice, I could sell myself to clients.
And the clients stuck around, because they liked my writing and the client experience I offered.
I didn’t wait for the right time.
I didn’t wait to feel comfortable.
I just DID it.
And this is your invitation to do the same.
Just. Start.
“What’s the best way to get better at copy?”
Working for clients.
That’s it.
Every client is different.
Every client wants certain “rules” broken.
Every client expects different things from you.
Your job is to adapt to those clients.
Your job is to figure out how to serve them.
And your job is to do it with conversational English.
If you can write in conversational English that sounds natural, you can write copy today.
You’re better than you think.
This is what successful copywriters are doing – that you’re not
It’s easy to look on X or other social media platforms and see writers just crushing it.
You think, What are they doing that I’m not? Why are they so successful?
The truth is simple: they went out and got clients before they were ready.
You’re still waiting.
They jumped into the deep end and started paddling while you sit in the kiddie pool with water barely up to your knees, wondering why you can’t swim yet.
Successful copywriters didn’t get their success from learning all the different copywriting formulas and POWER WORDS.
They got successful by putting themselves in front of potential clients every day, consistently, and selling themselves.
THAT’s what you have to master.
And if you can master that, you’ll never be struggling to get clients.
Don’t wait around until you’re “ready”.
Start.
Now.
Today.
And build your business.
While you think about it, someone else is doing it.
It’s your turn – even if you feel like you’re not good enough.
You will be.
But only if you start.