You can safely say that doing business my way is not quite how they do it in those agencies with receptions that look like restaurants.
I just had a comic exchange with an old acquaintance (and new client if we ever get our shit together) about the dramas of domestic life.
I think I managed to top his stories by saying that “As someone who has been stabbed by one ex-wife and one ex-mistress and still has a scar on his face from another who hit an artery I laugh at your puny adventures.”
But to change the subject entirely, a year or so ago a Croatian TV interviewer asked me why I’m still in this bloody business. I replied as best I could, but this email which I got yesterday gives the best reason of all.
Hi Drayton
I wanted to send you a personal note (well as personal as an email can be) to thank you for inspiring me in my career.
25 years ago I was a copywriting rookie at Sun Alliance. A graduate on that slippery road of irrelevant brilliance…ideas aplenty, most of them useless. Thankfully this was accompanied by an overwhelming desire to learn.
I was sent on a 2 day direct marketing conference in London. Almost by accident I meandered into a seminar you were running. I can remember feeling daunted but intrigued by you and I became completely engrossed in what you had to say.
On a screen you flashed up examples of adverts – good, bad, horrendous and brilliant. I squirmed when you thoroughly denounced an advert by Sun Alliance. Thank god I had not written it.
Then you flashed an advert, a simple classified ad for a B&B in the Dales that spun a beautiful story in just one paragraph. You pointed out the descriptions and the words and told us that great copywriting began with simplicity and relevance, with compelling descriptions and more. I wonder if you can remember?
Over the years I have never, ever forgotten your brilliant advice. I love telling stories and getting paid for them and I have mentioned your name on countless occasions when talking to people about the art of copywriting. I still feel like a rookie, just an older one!
I found you on Twitter and started following you. This galvanised me into writing to you.
I get a few like this. Sorry if it’s a bit maudlin of me to quote that one, but last week was mostly crap, and it cheered me up no end. I still use that example, too. Good things don’t age.
Thanks for taking the trouble, Dee.
It is a pleasure, we don't say thank you enough. Yesterday I was in a pensive mood, reflecting on the people that have inspired me in my career and you were and still are the number one key influencer that has shaped my copywriting as I have never had any official training. After emailing you I then bought two of your books on Amazon. Heaven knows why I had not done this earlier. This old dog has many new tricks to learn!
Genuine praise warms the heart, it is a rare gift cherish it.