Archive Monthly Archives: April 2009

New Digs. Same Landlord.

Thoirsday, 9:43pm Reno, NV “Ask not for whom the dog barks. It barks for thee.” (Motto on our doormat.)

Howdy.

And welcome to the new blog.

I’ve pretty much just moved in.

And, as you can see, we hauled every scrap of crap from the OLD blog over here, and dumped it willy-nilly all over the joint. Coming up on five freaking years of archives over there on the lower right.

You could get lost in that Basement Of Wonders.

Be careful… should you muster the courage to go rummaging. (I dare ya.)

Jeez. I must be one of the longest-tenured bloggers in Read more…

Goin’ Down To Kernville, Gonna See Some Friends o’ Mine…

Sunday, 9:48pm
Reno, NV
“Jerry was a race car driver, 22 years old…” (?)

Howdy.

Just checking in, to make sure you know I’m still kicking.

Busy, busy, busy. Virtual classes for the Simple Writing System start this week, you know.

Tell you what: To celebrate, let’s give out some…

PRIZES!

In fact — what the hell — let’s have TWO contests.

C’mon. What d’ya say?

Contesto Numero Uno: First person to name the band AND fill out the last two lines of the song I quoted above (just below the date)…Read more…

I Think We Beat NBC For The Entrepreneur Demographic

Thursday, 11:55am
Reno, NV
I’m mad as hell, and I’m not gonna take it anymore!” (Network.)

Howdy…

I hope you had a chance to drop by the “Carlton Talking Head” video show last Monday.

It was a blast. Thousands of folks from all over the globe tuned in…

… and while I have no intention of actually checking, I’m saying we beat all other media for that hour in the demographics we care about: Entrepreneurs and biz owners and budding writers.

That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

It was a proper launch for the now-infamous Simple Writing System at-home mentoring program (the 5th time we’ve offered it, and possibly the last). It was wild, it was fun, and it was a breathtaking learning experience that will change forever the way we do biz from here on.

Here are 2 background notes on the story you might find interesting:

1. The power went out all over Reno 15 minutes before we went live.

But did I panic?

Read more…

John On Live Video!

Sunday, 1:30pm
Reno, NV
“5… 4… 3… 2… 1…”

Howdy.

Quick note here for anyone who wants to know:

We are officially opening the doors to the Simple Writing System 5 at-home mentoring program… tomorrow, Monday, April 6th… at 2pm Eastern/11am Pacific.

However…

… I will begin a live video feed — of me, in my cluttered office, uncensored and unrehearsed — one-half hour earlier (1:30pm EDT/10:30am PDT).

You can ask questions by posting in the live chat feed. (Don’t be shy about just saying “Hi”, too — it’s always good to know that friends are tuning in just to see if I screw it all up.)

And you know what?

I just may open the doors early. To reward those folks smart enough to check things out when the action starts.

By “open”, of course, I mean we’re finally releasing spots in the mentoring program. It’s a big damn deal to know about the precise hour we open ‘er up… because there really are a specific number of slots available… and when they’ve been snatched up, that’s all she wrote.

This is the fifth time we’ve held some version of this SWS at-home mentoring program. All previous programs filled up quickly.

We do NOT, however, have current plans to hold another one.

Why not? Because it’s nearly freaking impossible to corral all the professional writers in the faculty into a 2-month commitment like this.

And that’s why this program is totally unique… and why it works so well.

I have a dozen of the most recognized pro copywriters in the world under contract to be hands-on teachers in this interactive program. They’re more than just helping me out, so I don’t get spread too thin with students. They are a vital part of the mentoring, getting down into the details with you on an almost daily schedule.

To get more info on the program, go here:

http://www.simplewritingsystem.com

You’ll see the full faculty line-up. (We’ve got ALL the pro writers from SWS4 returning… and there are a couple of new writers eager to get involved this time out.)

Plus, you’ll get the lowdown on the hot new addition to the program: The sizzling “777 Sessions”.

These are special webinars — using students in the SWS5 program — hosted by some of the biggest names in Web marketing: Rich Schefren, Jeff Walker, Brian Clark (of copyblogger.com), Perry Marshall, Jeff Johnson, Andy Jenkins (Stompernet), and Tellman Knudsen.

This is eye-poppin’ stuff. Literally, the opportunity of a lifetime to finally get hip to easily and quickly writing killer sales copy (whenever you need it, from now on)…

… while being mentored by the best in the game.

This is one-on-one coaching, with lots of opportunity to interact with other students, other mentors, and everyone else in the program.

It’s dirt cheap, too. As so many graduates have said: The first time you use even a single step from the system, you’ll make your money back.

And the first time you DON’T have to hire a freelancer to do your writing for you… well, you’ve probaby saved two-to-ten times your money, right off the bat.

But the REAL fun comes when you realize just how FAST you can put your business on steroids… because you can suddenly slam out EVERYTHING that needs to be written, in record time…

… and KNOW that you’re doing it right.

You’ll hit all the right buttons to grab the attention of your prospect, guide him through your sales funnel, get him so excited he can’t stand it…

… and be able to close the deal like a pro.

And this system works for ads, websites, video scripts, email, speeches… everything you need from here on out.

No matter how long you’ve been in business — from raw rookie beginner, to grizzled veteran — this program has been PROVEN to blow right through all the skepticism, all the learning problems you’ve had before, and all the excuses you’ve ever had that have kept you from finally learning to write.

It happens quick. You’re in great hands — we know what we’re doing…

… and we do it really, really, really freaking well.

So hop over to the site, early Monday morning.

Watch me get all hyped up and crazy on live video.

There’s no telling WHAT the heck I might do, you know.

There are “early sign up” bonuses, too.

Oh, it’s gonna be fun.

See you (literally, you’ll see me) tomorrow.

Stay frosty,

John

The Simple Writing System

Wednesday, 12:29pm
Reno, NV
“Nothing good will ever happen in your biz until your copy gets written.” (Me.)

Howdy…

I’m just watching out for you here, in case you missed any of the news: We’ve made the at-home mentoring program in the Simple Writing System available again.

It’s been six months since we last allowed people in.

I’ve put another superstar faculty of teachers together… which includes top, respected professional writers like Harlan Kilstein, Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero, David Garfinkel, Mike Morgan, Kevin Rogers, and many others.

If you have yet to explore what this hand-holding, intensely interactive program offers…

… then, dude, you need to look into it now.

There are fascinating “case studies” up on the site: http://www.simplewritingsystem.com/blog/

Plus a ton of free goodies… like the video of my notorious presentation at Frank Kern’s last Mass Control seminar. I put the crowd through the paces of how to tell a great story. (This is a big damn exclusive, too — no one outside of Frank’s inner circles have ever seen this presentation before.)

More important, we’re about to accept folks into the interactive mentoring program in just a few days…

… so even if you’re just curious, you need to stay in the loop by opting in.

What’s the big deal?

There’s just zero other opportunity to get hands-on mentoring like this anywhere else in the world.

And it’s a freaking bargain, too. One of the main reasons entrepreneurs and biz owners flock to this program is that the FIRST time they write their own sales copy… and skip hiring a freelancer (even the cheapest one out there)…

… they’re ahead. Just on cost alone.

The piles of treasure that come from learning how to write a good sales message make this simple act of getting some mentoring the most lucrative thing you can ever do in your life.

There are 4 case studies on the Simple Writng System site.

One from a rookie who had struggled getting anything written at all for her online business.

Results of getting mentoring from my crew: Conversions have quadrupled.

And biz is so good, her husband just quit his “main” job and has joined her in the now-super-profitable biz.

Another case study reveals how a business owner got so instantly good at using copy to sell… that he’s now being begged by every colleague and other marketer he knows to write ads and webpages for them, too.

He’s probably gonna sell his business, and just go freelance with writing full time. Pays better, more time off, absolutely no lack of marketers desperate for his help.

Another fascinating case study: Frustrated marketer puts in 9 months with other “copy guru’s”, yet still can’t write to save his life after all that coaching.

Finally discovers the Simple Writing System. Immediate results: Triples conversions, which also triples profit, on his main site.

Then there’s the “Big Buck Challenge” case study, with Web rock star Tellman Knudsen.

He actually taunted me into giving the rookie writer working with him just a few of the steps in the Simple Writing System… with the idea that he would viciously test the new site for one week… and thus expose my system for the obvious failure.

He even picked one of the worst months in the US economy to do his testing.

Man, he was out to humiliate me.

Except the new site crushed the old one. Quadrupled results, bringing in over $100,000 unexpected bucks per month… which translates to over a million bucks in the coming year.

All from just a few tweaks, by his rookie writer, using a fraction of the Simple Writing System steps.

Look… I know people are skeptical as hell about all of this.

I rarely meet anyone these days who hasn’t been burned by some self-annointed copywriter teacher… who may have had a lot of success as a freelancer, but just cannot teach writing.

I’ve spent 20 years mastering the many different ways that people learn stuff. There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to mentoring… and I designed the Simple Writing System to work with anyone, in any situation, with (almost) any kind of peculiar learning requirements.

We’ve been helping rookies, frustrated professionals, folks for whom English is a second language, biz owners from all over the globe, even blind entrepreneurs.

We know how to teach this stuff. So it’s easy, and even fun to finally sit down and start slamming out everything you need written for your business to thrive.

There are no exceptions, really. (I suppose if you’re just the most stubborn person in the world, absolutely commited to never succeeding, you won’t do well in this program.)

We’ve really overdone it this time, too.

I wasn’t sure I could pull the faculty together again, even after the success of the last mentoring program, six months ago.

However, everyone eagerly re-enlisted. For at least one last go-round.

There’s more, but what’s critical right now is that you get over to the site and opt in, so you can get the free goodies:

http://www.simplewritingsystem.com/blog

The free stuff and the case study interviews will ONLY be available for a few more days…

… and then it all goes back into the vaults (where no one can access them).

So head over there right now, while you’re thinking about it.

We’re posting — and giving more goodies away — every day for the next couple of days.

In fact, I gotta get back in the saddle here — I’m recording a video comparing the before-and-after tweaks that gave a website a 300% goose in results, instantly.

You just gotta see this stuff. Every single tactic is something you can use in your own business (especially online).

It’s particularly nice to note that all the case studies (and all the stunning testimonials we’re getting) were done during this current recession.

The people who learn to make marketing work aren’t complaining about the economy — they’re just continuing to pile up the results.

Stay frosty,

John Carlton

P.S. Here’s a couple of testimonials from the Simple Writing System you might find intriguing:

“Bottom line: Profits have tripled… without changing even one other aspect of my marketing. All I’m doing differently is applying the lessons I learned in this mentoring program.

I’ve spent thousands on different products claiming to reveal how to make your sales page work… and I’ve had two well-known Internet marketing gurus coach me up to 9 months each… and yet I still struggled to write, and what I ground out wasn’t very effective.

Since going through the Simple Writing System, however, I can now knock out sales pages within a couple of hours… and they get results. I recouped my investment here in the first couple of weeks.” Andrew Rondeau, UK

“I made my biggest product sale ever because of one email where I used the formulas I learned in the SWS. It retailed at 25,000euro ($35,000 US), and that one email did the job that otherwise would have required multiple calls and a lot of back-and-forth.

Writing is so natural now, I can’t imagine that I ever didn’t know how to do it. Another thing: Before, spending all day writing copy was a nightmare, and I really didn’t understand what was needed. Yet the pro writers I paid a small fortune to for help couldn’t produce the hooks I learned in the SWS. Their stuff didn’t work.

So I learned John’s system out of pure necessity. And now that I’m so good at it, I’m considering selling the business and becoming a full-time freelance copywriter — I think I’d like the lifestyle.” Otto Tromm, Belgium

“Since graduating (from the Simple Writing System) my conversion has quadrupled. Last month I wrote everything for my first-ever launch, and brought in $12,000.

The 17-point check list never leaves my desk — the process works so well, it’s freaky. In fact, things have been going SO well that my husband quit his job and is joining on with me.

Taking this course is the best money I’ve spent in the 3 years since starting my business (and I’ve bought from all guru’s, too). Just getting critiques from John and the faculty was worth the price of the course itself. I now know exactly what to write to get people to open up wallets and gladly pay for my products and services.” Stacey Morgenstern, San Francisco, CA

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