Strange as it sounds…
Your childhood experiences can play a huge role in the persuasive power of the sales copy you write today.
Sometimes for better, but often, for worse…
And no, I’m not talking about how well you aced (or flunked) English class.
Let me explain what I mean with a different kind of classroom story.
Picture this:
It was a regular afternoon in class. My teacher had just turned her back to write something on the chalkboard, when I had a cheeky idea.
I stretched an elastic band between my fingers…
Aimed it across the classroom…
And let it fly.
Snap!
The lacky band sailed clean across the classroom, landing smack dab on my mate’s chest, 30 feet away.
In my 8-year old brain, this was nothing short of legendary.
My aim? Impeccable.
My execution? Flawless.
And the surprised look on my friend’s face? Priceless.
So later that evening, I raved to my parents all about it, and braced myself for their applause.
“Wow Kenny! You’ve got a brilliant aim, lad! You’re amazing!” …
…
…
… is what I naively thought they’d say.
Instead, I got a very different reaction.
Disappointment.
“You could have taken someone’s eye out!” they yelled, before sending me off to my room to think about what I’d done.
Looking back now, they had a point.
But mini-me didn’t come away from that moment thinking about safety or consequences. Oh, no….
What I learned was that some stories — and some emotions — are better kept to yourself.
It was a small, seemingly insignificant incident. But as I look back…
I can see how it — along with loads of other long forgotten childhood experiences — shaped me in ways I didn’t fully understand until years later.
It taught me to keep feelings bottled up and my cards close to my chest…
And over time…
I became the kind of person who wouldn’t talk about struggles. No heartfelt chats. No reaching out for advice. I’d just figure it out on my own.
And honestly? There was some good in that.
It made me more capable. It forced me to rely on myself.
I became resilient, resourceful, and independent. Traits I wouldn’t trade for the world.
But that emotional isolation also came with a darker downside…
Not just for me as a person, but for me as a copywriter.
You see, emotion is such a key part of writing great sales copy.
People don’t buy with their heads. They buy with their hearts.
And as a copywriter, it’s your job to stir something deep inside them, to tug at a chord that moves them to act.
But here’s a hard truth:
How can you hope to stir emotion in someone else when you’ve lost touch with your own?
Long answer short: You can’t.
And if you’re in this same boat as I was…
Any attempt to write emotionally-charged copy will feel like a hollow imitation.
You’ll go through the motions, guessing what emotion “should” look and feel like, but it’ll never really hit home.
And sure, you might fool a few folks with this shtick…
After all, even psychopaths can mimic empathy convincingly.
But is that who you want to be?
A faceless mimic, copying the motions but never connecting?
I know I sure don’t.
So over the years, I’ve worked to become more in touch with my own emotions, and the emotions of others through empathy.
And listen, I’m still not perfect with this. Far from it.
It continues to be a lifelong work in progress.
But I’m miles ahead of where I was…
And I can say, hand on heart, that the emotional connection in my copy has transformed because of it.
So if you can relate…
If you’ve struggled to feel or connect…
It’s worth putting in the effort.
But this ain’t a one-time quick fix.
It’s an ongoing process you have to engage in daily.
It starts with noticing your emotions in the moment.
The embarrassment when you trip over your own feet. The anger when some eejit cuts you off in traffic. The buzz of excitement when a friend shares good news.
Recognize your emotions. Sit with them.
Ask yourself why you’re feeling them.
Peel back the layers, one by one.
Because when you do this, something incredible happens.
You don’t just grow as a person…
You unlock a new level of connection in your writing. Your words stop being mere words. They start to feel like something.
They reach out, grab your reader, and pull them into your world.
And if you want your sales emails to do exactly that… ooze personality, spark emotion, and demand attention…
I can help.
I call them Emails with Attitude.
They’re bold, fun, and packed with the kind of personality that makes your readers sit up, laugh, nod along, and most importantly, take action.If you’re ready to infuse your email copy with the kind of emotional resonance and persuasion that drives results, head here for more info:
https://kennethturnbull.com/work-with-me-emails/
Stay sharp,
Kenneth Turnbull