Andy Owen

 is one of the most skilled copywriters I know.  He’s been in the game a long time and this is a short extract from his current ”

CopyCat

” monthly newsletter.

I learnt this from the great 

Bill Bernbach

 a long time ago, when he said:

“It is insight into human nature that is the key to the communicator’s skill. For whereas the writer is concerned with what he puts into his writings, the communicator is concerned with what the reader gets out of it. He therefore becomes a student of how people read or listen.”

What a great insight.

What’s the application for our day to day work?

Personally i can see this as being a useful test for any copy you use for clients.  What is the message the reader receives?  How would you react to the message being communicated?  And what action follows from those two things?