Lessons and Reflections from Three Top Direct Response Marketers with Brian Kurtz, Richard Armstrong, and John Carlton

Jun 21, 2019

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This episode features three top direct response marketers - Brian Kurtz, John Carlton and Richard Armstrong. John is known as “the most respected writing teacher alive”… and the list of well-known marketers who reference John as their primary mentor for writing sales messages is staggering. He worked closely with direct response giants Jay Abraham and Gary Halbert for years… He has a SIMPLE SYSTEM that takes you step-by-step through the process called the simple writing system. Brian helped build Boardroom Inc., which is at its height, was a 150 million dollar company. Brian has overseen the mailing of over 1.3 billion pieces of direct mail over the past 30+ years and has worked alongside some of the top people in the direct marketing industry. Richard is one of the nation’s leading freelance direct response copywriters. He was voted the AWAI copywriter of the year in 2012. Richard is a two-time winner of the Caples Award – this is the “Oscars” of direct mail.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

[2:05] Jeremy introduces his guests, Brian Kurtz, Richard Armstrong, and John Carlton.
[5:30] John shares a lesson he learned from missing a Jimi Hendrix concert.
[8:40] Brian talks about the regret he has missing out on time with his mentors.
[13:00] Richard talks about lessons he learned his early career.
[16:30] The guys talk about how royalty based copywriting started.
[23:45] If the boss is happy - something is wrong with the copywriting.
[26:15] How John got started as a copywriter.
[32:15] You don’t choose your mentors, they choose you.
[39:45] Why you should focus on delivering value.
[42:00] Richard talks about mentors that impacted him over the years.
[45:30] John talks about meeting Jay Abraham.
[48:00] John opens up about the books he has authored.
[54:00] Brian talks about his book, Overdeliver.
[1:02:00] Richard shares which direct marketing books he loves.
[1:04:30] Why copywriters are not con-artists and other reflections.

In this episode…

What does it look like to get some of the best-known names in direct response marketing for a no-holds-barred conversation? Imagine all of the unique insights they’d have to share - look no farther! On this episode of Inspired Insider, you’ll hear from three top direct response marketers - Brian Kurtz, John Carlton and Richard Armstrong. In their conversation with Jeremy, the guys explain how they got started in direct response marketing, lessons they learned along the way, why focusing on providing value is critical, and much more. You don’t want to miss a minute of this fascinating conversation!

When you look back at your journey - what sticks out? Do you have lessons or regrets that stand out more than others? If you could pass on some advice - what would you share? Looking back at their journey as direct response marketers - Brian, Richard, and John were kind enough to share some of their hard-fought insights. The common theme from their reflections centres on missed opportunities. From missing out on one of the last Jimi Hendrix concerts to failing to spend time with key mentors late in their life - the guys stress the value of taking the road less travelled.

Did you know that one of the best ways to learn an industry or trade is to jump in and start providing value? It’s true! Too often - early on in their career - men and women are searching for a place to start without taking the time to find the best people to learn from. Imagine what it would have done for your career to spend a year or two simply learning from the top leaders in your industry. Brian, Richard, and John all attest to the value of sitting at the feet of those who have mastered their craft.

When was the last time you really pushed the envelope? Do you like to take risks and move the needle or are more of the play it safe type? The truth is - in the business world - if you play it safe, you’ll never get ahead. The old saying rings true - if the boss is happy, the product isn’t good. As direct response marketers, the guys had to learn that making the client happy wasn’t the point - they had to create content that would appeal to the customer. You can imagine that navigating the tension between pleasing the client and creating effective copy wasn’t easy.

Learning your craft and advancing in your specific industry is no small task. Many men and women can’t endure the challenges and roadblocks that arise in an intense industry like direct response marketing. Seeking to share their wisdom and expand their influence, Brian, Richard, and John have each authored books to help budding leaders. They want to do for others what guys like Jay Abraham and Gary Halbert did for them. To learn more from these brilliant minds in direct response marketing, make sure to check out their books - links can be found in the resources section at the end of this post.

Resources Mentioned on this episode

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