The Ode Of A Copywriter

Ignore the bad singing and enjoy the message of how reading changed my life… And my ongoing dilemma of getting my kids to do what I NEVER did!

Why I Bribe My Kids To Read

 

Yep, it’s true.

I bribe my kids (with cash) to read books.

Good? Bad? Whatever. Nothing else works.

The idea of them reading a book… heaven forbid… outside of school hours… would cause a raucous mutiny… Thinking back, I was the same…

My only appetite for reading as a kid was Alfred. P. Newman’s “MAD Magazines”… or the occasional “Choose your own adventure” books… (Might explain some things)

So with my boys… why did I revert to bribery? Cos books (eventually) changed my life, as you’ll hear when you read on…

And let’s face it folks… as any truth-telling parent would admit… We tend to fill the voids from our own life with a caring hand of direction to our kids. True or true?

I needed to inject some outside positive dialogue into their noggins… To open their eyes up to what’s possible in life… So they can see the unlimited potential in themselves, like i see in them.

Don’t get me wrong… They get smothered with my daily positive brain droppings…But you know how that goes. I never listened to my old man till i was in my thirties (thtupid me)… So they need to hear it from someone else, i.e. Books.

And besides… wearing the “Strict Dad” hat with my hard-nosed-drill-sergeant routine doesn’t always work with my kids. So I found another way (maybe not the best way, but a way)… I got creative and bribed them.

There Is Madness To My Method.

I’ll tell you why in a sec… and… believe it or not… this relates to your marketing success too. But first…

Here’s a typical scene at our house:

I’ll whip out a $10 (or $20) note and tape it to the inside back cover… with an inch or more of the note sticking out the top.

I’ll call my boys (usually 3 or 4 times) into the room to announce the challenge…

“Okay my men, first person to read this book, cover to cover, get’s to keep the cash. I have no way of checking if you’re cheating or not. I’m trusting you.”

Then I’ll say, “You’ll have to live with your own guilt if you take my money dishonestly. And besides, I’ll be quizzing you about sections of the book anyway”

I’ll rant about the book and tell ‘em why I think it’ll benefit them. Then I’ll slap the book on the table, tell them how awesome they are, and walk away.

I’m Sure Qualified Quacks Would Preach 101 Reasons Why This Is Wrong.

Whatever.

Look, it’s getting harder to fill their minds with positive stuff these days, would you agree?

Man… I thought the X-box and PlayStation were a brain drain for kids… Pfft… that’s nothing… Facebook dominates that role now. Don’t get me started on that…

Moving on. Like I said, books changed my life. But here’s something that might surprise you…

I didn’t start reading till I was in my mid twenties. True story. Prior to that, the only reading I’d do was the “Did you know” quiz under beer bottle caps.

Oh yeah… Mr Suave, thank you.

Actually, I do remember reading one article once… about how excessive alcohol is highly damaging to your brain. Blew me away. Stunned, I was.

So I made a firm decision that day.

I Was NEVER Going To Read Again.

In time, I smartened up. The first book I ever read (by my own choice) was when I was 26, called, “Awaken The Giant Within” by Anthony Robbins.

Changed my life forever… and launched me on a never-ending journey of personal excellence. I had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge… I devoured books like a piranha let loose in a fish farm.

These days, I tell my boys…

If You Can’t See Where You’re Going In Life Then You’re Not Standing On Enough Books

Charlie “Tremendous” Jones said, “The books you read and the people you meet will determine where you are in five years.”

Friend, that’s especially true with your business…

Whether you do your own copywriting and marketing… or you get me and my word-slinging A-team to do it for you… the point is this…

You’ve gotta keep yourself educated… stay sharp with your marketing… cos things can change fast, amigo…

That’s why I created http://www.thecopywritingsystem.com

So fellow biz owners, entrepreneurs and copywriters can get weekly breakthrough insights on how to annihilate their competition with edgy marketing and copywriting power.

To open their eyes up to what’s possible in their business… So they can see their unlimited potential with effective (and affordable) marketing… like I see.

Remember… He who markets the best wins!

Just one idea… one tweak… one insight… one paragraph from a book (when actioned)… can fling you into poll position. It’s true in life… and in business.

Keep your saw sharpened my friend…

Think big. Be different.

Bret Thomson

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