Gary Halbert was one of the greatest copywriters of all time. He wrote some of the most successful headlines, ads, and sales letters in the history of direct marketing, earning millions for himself, and billions for his clients. The headline that brought you to this page is my homage to his talent (how can you NOT read this?), based on a fake headline he wrote for one of this clients.
Halbert, who passed away last year, believed that in advertising, the headline is everything. I agree. An ad with a bad headline but brilliant copy will never be read. A mediocre ad with a GREAT headline, however, will pull far greater response simply because more people are reading it.Â
Headlines are not just in ads. The title of your article or report is a headline. Same for your brochure. The title of your seminar is a headline. So is the opening line in your presentation. The “re” in your letter is a headline. And the “P.S.”
What goes at the top of your web page? That’s a headline. What’s the first thing you say when you call a potential referral source to introduce yourself? Yep, a headline.
Halbert, who styled himself, “The Prince of Print,” sometimes spent 80% of his time on a piece crafting the right headline. When you get the headline right, everything else seems to fall into place. Get it wrong, and nothing you do thereafter seems to work.
My love for copy writing began when I subscribed to The Gary Halbert Letter in the late 1980’s. I read and re-read every word he wrote. He was also the inspiration for the sales copy I wrote to promote Referral Magic marketing program and my own newsletter, The Attorney Marketing Letter. Copywriting is the highest paid skill in marketing, but I consider it essential for any kind of marketing, and that includes marketing professional services.
Copywriting can be learned. I used to write like a lawyer but I trained myself to write copy that sells. It is a skill that has earned me millions. One of the best investments you can make in your career is in studying and applying the lessons of the great masters of copywriting. There is, of course, no better place to start than by reading the back issues of Halbert’s newsletter. Fortunately, all of them are posted online at the web site that survives him, TheGaryHalbertLetter.com. I encourage you to spend some time reading through this treasure chest of brilliant lessons in copywriting. But I have to warn you: Don’t start unless you have several hours available, because once you start reading Gary Halbert, you won’t be able to stop.
