Quack Like an Eagle

All of those motivational plaques you see on the walls of corporate offices tell us we should soar like an eagle.



But I reckon we should all start quacking like eagles instead.



What do I Mean by That?



Over the years, I've met with hundreds of business owners. And it's very unusual to meet someone who is willing to break the mould (the ones who do are usually quite wealthy) - most prefer to copy what everyone else in their industry is doing.



They are afraid to break away from their industry's "pack of ducks" for fear they will look silly. So they all quack like ducks because...



They are scared of putting a compelling headline on top of their advertisement.



They are scared of writing a long copy advertisement



They are scared of trying a bundle of different strategies instead of just following along like a flock of ducks as all their competitors do.



That's why getting together with people in your industry at meetings and events aren't always the best use of your time. You always end up going over the same strategies because in most cases, almost everyone is doing the same thing.



(Idea: what would happen if you got together with the leading entrepreneurs from different fields and exchanged ideas? Wouldn't that be more productive?



Could you find a unique new strategy which would work for you. Trust me, your business isn't really that different - you're all selling to human beings with the same needs, wants and desires!)



In a nutshell, they are scared of doing new things. Many years ago, when I was about 18 I picked up a book from a bookshop in Melbourne called "Jonathon Livingston Seagull." It was a lovely story about a REBEL seagull that dared to step outside the mould and live his life to the fullest.



Rather than scavenging from the beach and just focusing on survival, he decided he wanted to explore the world and see all the wonders it had to offer. He was rejected by his clan and labelled an outcast. But from memory, he ended up being a big hero and a leader.



It's a great book if you ever get the chance to read it. Anyway, I don't think any business owner is a natural eagle. At the end of the day, we all start out as ducks.



Most of us are scared out of our mind of making a mistake... breaking the mould and doing something different.



So when it comes to advertising, we ask everyone's opinion about which ad is the best. And that's a BIG MISTAKE because everyone will tell you the ad they like is the one with the shortest copy that looks the prettiest.



But that's not true. In fact, in one of Peter Sun's books, he gives an example of two advertisements. Almost everyone -



I think it was over 80% picked the ad, which ended up receiving 2 calls versus the one, which resulted in 11 jobs in the same time period. And the ads were right next to each other in the phone directory.



So DARE TO BE THE DUCK in your industry who breaks the mould, "quacks like an eagle" and does something different.



Quack like an eagle, apply what you learn and eventually (just like Jonathon Livingston Seagull) you could end up being the leader in your industry, too.

About the Author

Scott Bywater is an income boosting, results focused direct response copywriter and the author of Cashflow Advertising and More Customers Made Easy. His popular ebook 7 ways to get more customers has been downloaded by over 8,247 business owners over the past five years. You can get your hands on it by heading on over to http://www.copywritingthatsells.com.au