May 31, 2025
Trout Lake, Corbeil, Ontario

“You’re driving across the country again? What’s the occasion this time?” 

(Can’t read the full email – click here for the online version.)

We’re back at the homestead, on the lake. This time, joined by my 3 siblings, spouses, some nieces, nephews, their children and more.

The occasion? My parents’ 70^th wedding anniversary.

Hard to believe it’s been that many years. And they are still living in the same house I grew up in, with very little support. But there they are, standing tall and somewhat ready to welcome the influx of children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren plus some old friends, a sister and some of her family.

It’ll be hectic, emotional and memorable.

Earlier this week, we were in Canmore Alberta, to attend a memorial for a friend and stalwart of that community. He was only 72. Life can be fickle, can’t it!

As one approaches the Rocky Mountains, on the drive from Calgary, one can’t help but notice the proliferation of large billboards promoting hotels, real estate and attractions. 

Some caught your attention. Others did not. All, however, shared the same fatal flaw. 

They failed the conversion equation. 

With colour and imagery they all tried their best to catch your attention. But then these were followed by insipid headlines and no call to action. 

Here’s a small sample of the poor copywriting I am talking about:

“Adventure Lives Here”

“Let’s Go!”

“Over 7 Metres 8 Metres & Counting” 

“Jasper – Venture Beyond”

“Mountain Life Within Reach”

“Calgary’s Favourite Homebuilder”

Billboards, of course, have some limitations. When you’re driving by at 70 miles an hour, you have maybe 5-6 seconds to read it. So, the sign has to get your attention, convey a message and hope it both resonates and sticks with you so that you take action, at some point.

It’s a tall order and very difficult to do. 

Very few businesses can make the signs work for them. Most people will forget the message and the business, as soon as they see the next sign – if they see it at all.

The people making the money are the sign makers, with promises of tens of thousands of eyeballs and the owners of the land, upon with the sign sits.

I doubt any of the businesses paying for the signs get any return from them. Unfortunately, they have been sold a false bill of goods. Maybe their ego is stroked when they see their sign as they drive by. Last I knew, ego does not pay the bills.

Dan Kennedy talks about this problem all the time. He explains it recently, this way.

This is where most marketers fail. They jump to their product. They lead with what it does. They try to win the sale with bullets, discounts, or desperate “stacked value” bonuses.

Wrong move.

The deeper truth? People don’t buy products. They buy the version of themselves that owning the product promises.

And those versions are different depending on who you’re selling to. You’re not speaking to a monolith. You’re speaking to individuals—each with their own wounds, needs, desires, and internal scripts. 

I’ve seen this mistake at every level from startups to $100 million companies. They want better ads. More leads. But they won’t fix the sales sludge their leads are dumped into. I once cut a client’s $2 million ad budget in half and told them to use the savings to fix their broken process. They said no. 

They wanted the red button. They got extinction.

Now, if any part of this made you think, “Damn, I need to get better at this,” then you’ll want to jump into something Dan’s team is doing next week.

It’s called the How To Write Like Dan Kennedy Challenge, and yes—it’s free.

Until next week, 

Stay healthy and focus on profit! 

 - Hugh 
The “Profit Accelerator” Expert

P.S: Join The FREE Challenge Now! >>

You’ll learn how to:

• Craft offers so magnetic they practically sell themselves
• Turn dull, dry copy into emotionally charged persuasion
• Build a following of loyal buyers who see you as an authority—not a vendor 
• And finally understand what makes words convert into money
• If you want to master the art of motivation-based selling through the written word, this is where you begin.

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