The Power of Words: An Amazon Adventure and an Atlanta Appointment

In February of this year one of my coaches, the world-class copywriter Alan Forrest Smith, raised over $50,000 in just 72 hours as part of a special Internet challenge to help save 5 million acres of virgin rainforest in the Amazon region of Ecuador. This land is part of the natural habitat of the Achuar people. Several readers of this blog donated to this cause.

This challenge is an excellent example of just what can be achieved via the Internet to help support good causes. It demonstrates the effectiveness of great Internet marketing strategies and also the power of words to motivate and inspire people to create change - not just in their lives but in the lives of others.

Well, the story didn't end with this fundraising drive. Alan Forrest Smith received an invitation from the Pachamama Alliance to spend some time living with the tribe he raised money for and Alan, with the spirit for adventure that he has, needed no second invitation. He has recently returned from a two-week trip to the Amazon which Alan describes as being "an incredible experience that took him to the very edge of man's existence".

This is an opportunity that would have never have arisen had Alan not decided to use his prodigious skills as a copywriter to give a voice to a tribe of people who were in danger of losing not just their natural habitat but their very homes, existence and way of live.

Now, I need to back up a little because if you don't Alan you might think "Big deal!" but Alan's story is quite remarkable although the beginnings of his life were anything but. He left school at 15 and earned a living doing a variety of handyman jobs, window cleaning and landscaping.

He then went from cutting lawns and hedges to cutting hair. Yes, he became a hairdresser and a very successful one at that. However, it wasn't easy. With overheads and employees to pay, when he started out, it was often a challenge to breakeven from week to week. It was critical that he maintained a steady flow of clients through his salons and this is when he started trying out various ways of promoting his salon through written advertisements. Alan found examples of advertising campaigns that he found effective and successfully adapted them to his business.

Then he bought "The Amazing Formula" by Marlon Sanders and that was the first time he was introduced to the concept of copywriting. Since that time his life has been transformed. Alan, who has no formal education and, by his own admission, is not even a great reader, basically taught himself the art and science of copywriting primarily by studying excellent early 20th century copywriters.

Alan Forrest Smith is now regarded as one of the world's leading experts on copywriting and has travelled the world teaching copywriting to business owners. What's more, this has all happened in the last 5 years.

Alan will be presenting at the Big Seminar 12 in October where he will be teaching business owners and entrepreneurs how to write a webpage that creates interest, captivates buyers and most importantly sells. This will be the first time that Alan will be speaking at the Big Seminar and although Alan teaches copywriting all over the world this is a big kudos for this hairdresser turned copywriter. Armand Morin, the founder of the Big Seminar, is notoriously picky when it comes to selecting speakers for his event.

You can find out more about the Big Seminar, the stellar line-up of speakers and free training through twice weekly teleseminars by clicking the link below:

Big Seminar 12

In a recent teleseminar with Alan Forrest Smith, Armand Morin said that hairdressing had nothing to do with copywriting. Alan was quick to point out what hairdressing had in common with copywriting:

"Hairdressing is about communication and you have to say the right thing at the right time to get the result."

You can replace the word "hairdressing" with coaching, mentoring, selling, etc. and the statement holds true. If, in your business, you ignore the power of words to create dramatic success then you can expect equally dramatic failure.

So take advantage of this opportunity to learn from a quirky Scotsman on how to harness the power of words to succeed in business by attending the Big Seminar 12.

If you book your ticket before 02 September then you'll get a fabulous FREE bonus of a ticket to "Armand Morin Live" in Phoenix, Arizona. This is an exclusive event where Armand Morin will be sharing his secrets to successfully building a business that generates over 20 million dollars per year with just 7 employees.

If you want to be able to do things such as:

~ Order from the left side of the menu rather than the right hand side,

~ Take time off from your business when you want, to devote to your family,

~ Enjoy fabulous vacations several times a year, and

~ Buy things you need without worrying about the cost.

Or whatever constitutes your idea of financial freedom then this is an event for you. This is also an event for you if you want to learn how to take your business to the next level.

Finally, if you thought Alan had a love affair with words, he took 1,200 pictures during his Amazon adventure and so it's no surprise that he's still processing them so stayed tuned for some great photos later.

Alan Forrest Smith copywriting Amazon Big Seminar Armand Morin