Reality Copywriting: My Very Own "Bat Phone"

Ecolumn - Wednesday, February 21, 2007

My Very Own “Bat Phone”

I recently installed a "Bat Phone."

Remember the campy Adam West Batman series? Whenever Commissioner Gordon called, a red phone in Wayne Manor's library would start flashing. Alfred would come along, pick it up, and say in that servile English-butler voice, "Yes?... One moment, please."

Then he'd go grab Bruce who'd be doing something heroic like teaching Dick how to bake no-fat brownies. They both go to the phone and find out which felon had broken out of Gotham Prison.

To the bat poles!

Well, I have two paying clients who sometimes need to get hold of me ASAP. Often 3 or 4 times a week. I've not only been writing copy for their businesses but guiding their marketing.

At the same time I didn't want to have to pick up the phone every time it rings -- for anybody. It just becomes too disruptive. I don't even want to have to go and check the call display every time it rings. Either my wife or my assistant can handle enquiries. I just don't want to talk to anybody who isn't paying money for a consultation. I'm finished with free consultations. Works for some copywriters, doesn't work for me.

So, I called up the phone company and asked if they could activate an Ident-A-Call number. That way, when one of my clients calls, the ringer will sound different and I know it's them. And I know it's urgent.

The neat thing was that my area just introduced a new three digit prefix. I was one of the first phone numbers to use it. So I was able to select the last four digits myself.

Well, going with the Bat Phone theme, I thought (298) 398-BATP would be easy for my clients to remember.

I almost went through with it, until I read it out to the telecom lady...

"Is BATP available?"

Silence.

"Bat pee?"

No, that won't work. Call 398-Bat-Pee!

I ended up settling with (298) 398-HELP* which isn't as original, but easy enough to remember.

(*That's not the real number -- I'm not revealing the Bat Phone # in a public email).

Anyway, my clients are glad I got it (as I tend to only check email and voicemail once a day).

On Friday I'm going to share with you a free resource worth hundreds of dollars that can show you how to acquire the marketing knowledge to help position your copywriting skills so you clients can't live without you.

When I say a resource, I mean I'm actually going to show you how to get several hundred dollars worth of CDs in the mail. This isn't some freebie website or ebook. Yet, you don't have to pay anything but the postage. There are no commitments. You don't have to send anything back, ever. It's not a loan. It's a free gift, plain and simple.

So watch for the email on Friday, with what some people call "The Most Incredible Free Gift Ever" offered by one of the world's most successful copywriters.

Capture, captivate, convert!

John A. Manley

p.s. Still need to acquire the basic skills to make money copywriting? Here's what Yanik Silver calls one the "Bibles of Copywriting"...

www.realitycopywriting.com/copywriting_bible

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