1) There’s only so much you can learn about copywriting. Whoa! I know that reason will instantly trigger a “you can always get better at copywriting” response. Correct. But after reading and re-reading the classics, halberts newsletters, bencivenga bullets, kick ass copywriting secrets of a marketing rebel, advertising magic, etc, etc… you get to a point where you “get it”… and…. you can write *good-enough* copy that can make you millions of dollars. Sure, you can always improve, but at some point you need to say “well i’ve read all this stuff, i’ve learned most of it, it’s time to put it into action and make some money”. In my opinion, the 80/20 rule applies to writing copy too. 20% of your copy will have 80% of the effect on the prospects decision to purchase. The “Offer” would be most of that 20%, imo. I don’t need more tips on copywriting, i get it. It gets to a point where i can write the copy… do testing myself… and learn more from those tests… from taking ACTION.. from WRITING… instead of posting in membership forums.

2) I dont want to show other people my ads. There’s always that niggling concern that someone will knockoff my add and product. Why would i want to show other marketers my ads and products etc. It’s like being in jail and telling the other in mates where you hid your stash of gold. You don’t trust em

3) Copy mentality shift. I know copy is super important. Whether it be video copy, web page copy, radio copy, whatever. But gone are the days when you needed only great copy to make a million. Lets admit we all got into DM 10 years ago cause we wanted to write a “special report” on some topic (which took all of one day to write) and then use out copy skills, and mail outs to massive lists, to move it, and make ourselves rich overnight. If you create a shit product, write a great salesletter, and sell a million dollars worth of that shitty product (or just an average product) online… it will spread like wildfire that your product is shit all over the internet. Having a great product is just as important - if not more important - then having great copy. The majority of millionaires and billionaires in the world all have great products - and shit copy. Microsoft, McDonalds, bla, bla, bla, have you seen some of these guys ads? Having a great product is super important - Gary Bencivenga further validated this opinion of mine with this newsletter: http://bencivengabullets.com/bullets.asp?id=19 “A gifted product is mightier than a gifted pen”. My point: i personally spend more time on building a great product then “copy” these days. My mindset changed. I use to think that copy was EVERYTHING. That i could sell ice to eskimos. Doesnt work like that.

4) Time wasting. I’d rather be taking action, then posting critiques on forums or hearing waste of time 5 minute introductions about other internet marketers on your interviews.

5) John Carltons Aura dissapeared. John, i use to think of you as something rare and special. Something expensive. Someone who’s writings were hard to get a hold of. Someone uncontactable because he was so rich and great at writting copy. Someone who lived up on a mountain doing guru things. Someone who, when he published something, i’d rush at the chance to buy it because it would be no b.s. straight to the point. But, now, with your blog, it’s kind of like you’re publishing stuff all the time - and instead of jumping at those few things you do publish (for fear of missing the chance to get them, the rarity factor) i kinda think…”well, John is just like all these other gurus now, he publishes stuff all the time. Some of it contains gold nuggets, but lots of it is fluff and wastes my time - information overload”. It’s like, since the internet, you’ve come down from on top of the mountain and you’re hanging with everyone else (me) in the valley. That’s unappealing. God status, is what you want, in my opinion. Physcology. Think Jay Abraham. I use to put you and him in the same boat. But now you just seem more assecible.

6) Spreading yourself thin. When i think of “master copywriter” i think of you, among others. I don’t want to hear interviews with you and guys teaching other stuff. I’ll go directly to them if im interested in their stuff. All i want from you is hard hitting copy lessons from you. Not interviews with guys in other feilds. If i want to listen to Rich Schefren ill go buy his product directly. Id rather you interview other copy gurus “Makepeace, Paris Lamporis, Bencivenga, Bird, whoever, other behind the scenes copywriters. You’re a copywriter - thats what i want to learn from you. Not SEO challenges, bla, bla, bla. I already know the experts in the fields i want to know about, and i go straight to em. From you i just want copywriting, copywriting, copywriting. Nutin else.

7) Didnt want the product. All the reasons above made your offer uncompelling to me. That’s ultimately why i didnt buy.

P.S. sorry for all the spelling erros. I value my time to much to run it through a spell check.

P.P.S. i hope this helps you. It’s just what came to mind when you asked the question. Which was a brave thing for you to do.

It’s all about what you are looking for and where you truly get it from. I LIVE for the video critiques! I don’t post - I don’t really know why. I think I’ll put my other foot in the game!

Thanks John - for making the coaching club affordable, interesting, and the most invaluable learning resource I have spent money on in the last 3 years!

The other thing: It might be the layout. I remember, when I first read the pitch, I just glanced over the testimonials and thought something like “wow, he some of every area of the industry… haha, even Gary is there” … “uhm, you should study this pitch, you can learn from this” and then I just clicked the window away.

So, I didn’t even read the pitch. Part of this could have been because subconsciously I thought it will be too expensive for my pocket anyway. When I can afford it I will buy your pricier packages anyway…

I am glad you liked the rant.

As you like video critiques, this might be a good source for you:
http://peterstonecopy.typepad.com/

I am not sure if you know about it already, but there are loads of camtasia video critiques.

From the land of beer and chocolate,

Otto

PS: That’s Belgium

Include a table of contents for each video… like this:

For the first 2 minutes and thirty seconds I discuss Richard Gere and his role as a “Gerbiler”… and I give you specific action steps as to how YOU can gerbil too.

At 2:31 I go into a funny discussion about the role of LSD in Ozzie Osbourne’s onstage antics, and what you absolutely MUST bring to Ozzfest this year.

At 4:22 I knock your socks off with a screen-cam video of me making a mindmap on sleep deprivation and meeting women using bubble dot us.

And from 6:59 to to 8:09, I annoy you with my thoughts on internet performance anxiety as relates to cybersex.

Give it a shot ballers!
Hedgehog

When I got started, there was no possibility of getting a critique from John for $69.

Hell no.

I paid $1200 twice to have John rip me apart.

And that was after buying his courses…

and videos….

and anything else he sold.

I taped the calls and studied the transcripts.

It was all I needed.

I just can’t believe the value that John is offering here.

You are in a deep deep coma if you don’t take advantage of this deal.

Go for it.

Peace.

Harlan