In May of 2000 I attended a 2-day internet marketing seminar at the Wembley Conference Center, London. On the 2nd day I arrived late, and as I hurried into the conference room, I was greeted by an extraordinary sight:

Several hundred grown adults who were - wait for it - blowing soap bubbles!

They'd been issued with children's soap bubble makers and were having an absolute whale of a time. What's more, they were being urged by this crazy guy onstage to keep blowing until they'd filled the whole room!

I thought I'd paid good money to hear some hard-hitting marketing tactics - not attend a kids party! 

Well, the guy on stage was marketing maestro Marlon Sanders. And I soon realized he wasn't so crazy after all. He was, in fact, teaching everyone a very important lesson:

If you want to get the creative juices flowing, you need to *loosen up*.

This is critical. 

If you're going to write effective sales copy you need to prepare your brain. You'll never write good copy if you're stressed, tensed up, or mentally constricted in any way.

Having said that, you don't want to be too relaxed, either. If you think you can knock out great copy while slumped in your favorite easy chair watching TV, then forget it, it ain't gonna happen.

In this article, I want to give you some powerful preparation techniques to help you write at your peak every time. In a moment, I'll give you some tips for organizing your thoughts about your product. They'll get the ideas flowing and give you a much clearer idea of where you're heading in your sales piece.

But first, here are a few tips I've found invaluable for getting into the right frame of mind for writing...

1. Write at the time of day when you're at your best. Whether you're an early bird or a night owl, try to write when you're most alert.

2. Don't write straight after a meal - you'll be less mentally sharp. Allow a couple of hours for digestion before you begin.

3. Think positive thoughts. Think about everything that's good in life. Think about the benefits of your product/service - get excited about them.

4. Get the blood pumping. Do some light exercise. Go for a brisk walk. It's a proven way to help you think better. Studies have shown that people who exercise immediately before taking an IQ test can add several points to their score.

5. Play. Follow Marlon Sanders' example, blow some soap bubbles. Be child-like. Bounce a ball. Play a game. Anything like this will free up your mind for better creative thinking.

6. Play some uplifting music. Anything that makes you feel happy and optimistic. I find Motown music perfect for this.

Ok, so now you're all fired up and ready to go. But before you begin writing, try this 3-step preparation exercise:

1. Get a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle dividing it into 2 columns. In one column, list all the features of your product/service. In the other, list all the conceivable benefits you can think of (this is actually a great exercise for coming up with headlines). You could also use blank post cards or Post-Its for this exercise.

2. Get another piece of paper and do the same again. But this time, in one column, list every problem you can think of that your prospect may be facing. And in the other, list every solution you can think of that your product/service provides. 

3. Same again. This time, think of every possible objection your prospect may have to buying your product/service in one column. And in the other, list every answer to every objection.

This is a terrific exercise for getting really clear about your offer. Not only that, but it'll bring to mind many additional benefits and ideas you may never otherwise have thought of.

As for the writing process itself, remember to play it loose. Don't get hung up about the structure of your letter when you first begin. Just let the words pour out. You can edit it later.

Most copywriters have a systematic approach to their writing. After much trial and error, they arrive at a "modus operandi" (method of working) that suits them. I'd suggest you do the same.

I find it easiest to take each benefit in turn and write as much as I can about it. I then take all those chunks of copy and try to fuse them into a sales letter. 

Experiment, and see what works for you.

However you approach it, just remember to prepare thoroughly, get fired up, and have fun. Great copy comes from the heart. Be genuinely enthusiastic about your product, and your copy will shine.

*****

Simon Freeman is the author of You Can Write Copy Like a Pro! - a short, to-the-point e-book that reveals power-selling techniques most top copywriters use without even knowing it! Zip on over to http://www.themightyword.com/copylikeapro.htm for details.

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