10 Things I Learned From Dan Kennedy One of the original direct...
Andrew Gould@AndrewWriteCopy
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Apr 11, 2025
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10 Things I Learned From Dan Kennedy
One of the original direct response gurus.
Dan was my gateway into the industry when I signed up to a free 12-part email course on copy in the late 90s or early 2000s.
So here are ten of the best things I learned from him.
// THREAD //
One of the original direct response gurus.
Dan was my gateway into the industry when I signed up to a free 12-part email course on copy in the late 90s or early 2000s.
So here are ten of the best things I learned from him.
// THREAD //
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1) Your Real Business is Lead Generation and Sales Conversion
The single most important thing I've learned:
No matter what business you're in, your real business is lead generation and sales conversion.
As without leads and sales, you don't have a business.
The single most important thing I've learned:
No matter what business you're in, your real business is lead generation and sales conversion.
As without leads and sales, you don't have a business.
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2) Know Your Numbers
You've got to know your business's key metrics.
You need to know what's working and what's not working for you so you can make good decisions.
At the very least you should know:
- The cost of getting a customer.
- The lifetime value of that customer.
You've got to know your business's key metrics.
You need to know what's working and what's not working for you so you can make good decisions.
At the very least you should know:
- The cost of getting a customer.
- The lifetime value of that customer.
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3) Sell To Want Not Need
You've got to sell what people want, not what they need.
This is a mistake I see all the time.
Just because someone doesn't have something - like a smart, new website - doesn't mean they want it.
It often means they're just not interested in it.
You've got to sell what people want, not what they need.
This is a mistake I see all the time.
Just because someone doesn't have something - like a smart, new website - doesn't mean they want it.
It often means they're just not interested in it.
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4) Guard Your Time
Time is your most valuable asset as unlike money you can never create more of it.
So treat it as such and guard it as best you can.
Don't fritter away your hours. Have a time management system to ensure you get the most out of your days.
Time is your most valuable asset as unlike money you can never create more of it.
So treat it as such and guard it as best you can.
Don't fritter away your hours. Have a time management system to ensure you get the most out of your days.
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5) Focus On Your Headline
The headline is the most important copywriting element.
It's the ad for your ad.
If your headline fails, chances are your ad fails.
So you want to spend the most time on it.
Write multiple headlines, pick the best few, and then test them.
The headline is the most important copywriting element.
It's the ad for your ad.
If your headline fails, chances are your ad fails.
So you want to spend the most time on it.
Write multiple headlines, pick the best few, and then test them.
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6) Understand Your Target Audience
A huge part of how good your copy is depends on how well you know your audience.
The better you know them, the better you can target your copy at them, and the better your sales.
Get to know them so well you could write a page in their diary.
A huge part of how good your copy is depends on how well you know your audience.
The better you know them, the better you can target your copy at them, and the better your sales.
Get to know them so well you could write a page in their diary.
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7) Don’t Reinvent The Wheel
You don't need to write copy from scratch.
You can borrow everything from headline templates to body copy structures from decades worth of proven direct response marketing.
Use them as a starting point, and then build on them.
You don't need to write copy from scratch.
You can borrow everything from headline templates to body copy structures from decades worth of proven direct response marketing.
Use them as a starting point, and then build on them.
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8) Why You?
Why should a prospect buy from you?
What makes you better than your competition?
This is a key question you need to answer.
You always want to be looking for ways to differentiate yourself.
Why should a prospect buy from you?
What makes you better than your competition?
This is a key question you need to answer.
You always want to be looking for ways to differentiate yourself.
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9) Don’t Assume
We all tend to assume we know things we really don’t.
And we're almost always wrong.
So don't assume you already know what does and doesn't work.
Don't let tradition or industry norms blind you.
Decide on data not on assumptions.
We all tend to assume we know things we really don’t.
And we're almost always wrong.
So don't assume you already know what does and doesn't work.
Don't let tradition or industry norms blind you.
Decide on data not on assumptions.
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10) The Bigger Picture
Always look at the bigger picture.
Don't get too focused on the details of your copy.
Instead, look at your offer, who you're targeting, your upsells, your follow-up, etc.
These will make you more money than polishing your copy.
To sum up...
Always look at the bigger picture.
Don't get too focused on the details of your copy.
Instead, look at your offer, who you're targeting, your upsells, your follow-up, etc.
These will make you more money than polishing your copy.
To sum up...
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- Your real business is lead generation and sales conversion
- Always look at the bigger picture
- Understand your target audience
- Don't reinvent the wheel
- Focus on your headline
- Know your numbers
- Guard your time
- Don't assume
- Why you?
- Always look at the bigger picture
- Understand your target audience
- Don't reinvent the wheel
- Focus on your headline
- Know your numbers
- Guard your time
- Don't assume
- Why you?
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Andrew Gould@AndrewWriteCopy
10 Things I Learned From Dan Kennedy
One of the original direct response gurus.
Dan was my gateway into the industry when I signed up to a free 12-part email course on copy in the late 90s or early 2000s.
So here are ten of the best things I learned from him.
// THREAD //
One of the original direct response gurus.
Dan was my gateway into the industry when I signed up to a free 12-part email course on copy in the late 90s or early 2000s.
So here are ten of the best things I learned from him.
// THREAD //
