4.19.07 Update
Here’s an excerpt from Gary Bencivenga’s tribute to Gary Halbert . . .
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4. Gary was original. His favorite saying, the one he lived by, was “Nothing is impossible for a person who refuses to listen to reason!” With that as his credo, he blazed many new marketing trails that the rest of us followed.
What does this all mean to you? Let’s sum up. If you want to pay tribute to Gary and what he taught us…
- Share valuable news in your advertising and ezines. It commands readership and loyalty.
- Be interesting. You can’t bore people into buying.
- Get real. Let a human personality shine through your copy.
- Be original. But let that human voice be your own or your client’s, not the distinctive voice of Gary, or John Carlton, or Gene Schwartz, or anyone else.
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Original Post
Opened an email this morning with a link to this announcement by John Reese about Gary Halbert’s passing.
He’s the copywriter behind the famous “Coat of Arms” sales letter. Often referred to as “The Prince of Print,” Halbert outlined his accomplishments in a letter called “modesty personified.”
Here’s the intro . . .
“I believe I am the best copywriter who ever lived.
Maybe, since you read my newsletter, you too already believe that. Even if you don’t, I think you will change your mind after you read this message.
Here is why.
Much of the direct response advertising I have created is so good it is part of history. My work has been printed in dozens (maybe hundreds) of books. I believe people will still be reading and studying my work 200 years from now. No other copywriter on earth has “winners” that are equal to mine. For example, I once wrote two letters for which I was paid…
$5,250,000!
You read it right. That’s five million, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. For just two letters. Do you know of any other copywriter who can match that? I don’t think so.”
Read the entire letter at http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/newsletters/2006/modesty_personified.htm
Mr. Halbert left a great legacy as a talented, innovative and generous writer – sharing his writing samples online.
Read his work at The Gary Halbert Letter.
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