Bill Hebden’s latest ‘e-Wealth Daily’ article is titled “How a Middle-aged White Guy Became the Nation’s Top African-American Copywriter”. [‘e-Wealth Daily’ Article]


Bill Hebden’s latest ‘e-Wealth Daily’ article:

How a Middle-aged White Guy Became the Nation’s Top African-American Copywriter

e-Wealth Daily

There I am. You can see my photo on our web site. I’m a middle-aged white guy. Still, the company printing all the marketing materials for “Essence” magazine, the magazine for black women, called me.

This was back in 1989, but the morale of the story still holds today, so let me continue. The printing company was on the verge of losing the “Essence” block of business. The company rep thought he’d save the day by bringing me in.

I knew well before I stepped foot into “Essence” magazine’s sleek offices in midtown Manhattan that the sharp people behind this publication’s success would immediately notice I’m neither female nor black. I did have a slight tan from playing golf, but the 11 executives sitting around the highly polished conference table in the Executive Vice President’s 11th floor office weren’t fooled for an instant. I knew they wouldn’t be.

So, we’re chit-chatting at first. Finally, one of the younger execs cuts through all the crap and blurts out, “You’re white. You’re male. What are you going to tell our readers?”

I tried to look surprised when she asked that. Actually, I tried to look surprised that she asked, because I wanted her and all the others to see my approach as the obvious way to go.

“I’ll sell your magazine — the magazine for black women — by taking race out of the picture. Everyone knows you’re a magazine for black women. All women want to be beautiful inside and out, have great love lives, raise terrific kids, and all that. Your magazine helps them do all of that. Your readers buy your magazine to escape into a can-be world. I’ll tell them the same things I’d tell a white woman, except all the photos will be black people.”

The printer’s day was saved — for the next 12 years — until Time-Life took over the magazine. But it wasn’t long before companies looking for America’s best African-American copywriter starting calling me…magazines, insurance companies, banks…I was on the line with practically every company that wanted to reach African-Americans.

The (surprising?) morale of the story:

Referrals. It’s got to be the best way to build any business. The printing company referred me to a client that fed me money for more than a decade, and along the way referred me to other clients. No advertising required.

I cover the topic of referrals in my book, “Getting Your First Million.” I’d say it’s next to impossible to succeed at a high level without giving some credit to the awesome power of referrals. You can order my book by visiting the site below:

http://www.lombardipublishing.com/ads/ym/index.asp

About e-Wealth Daily

The e-Wealth Daily Bulletin brings you daily tips, advice and breaking news related to home businesses, small businesses and internet marketing. Our team of experts gives you the information you need to take your business pursuits to the most profitable level. Founded by Adrian Newman in 2003, the e-Wealth Daily Bulletin and www.ewealthdaily.com are a division of Lombardi Publishing with online newsletters reaching over 100,000 subscribers each month.

* IMNewsWatch would like to thank e-Wealth Daily for granting permission to reprint this article.

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