The Charming Copy Crash Course

The Charming Copy Crash Course is a full-length workshop packed with frameworks, examples, and line-by-line breakdowns of persuasive jokes, rhetorical traps, and charm-drenched copy that’s landed me meetings with brands like Red Bull, Symantec, Walt Disney, o2, and many more.

This is the recording of a sold-out live training I hosted a few years ago. You’ll get both the main session and the audience Q&A. Inside, I show exactly how I write cold pitches, follow-ups, upsells, and media outreach messages that make strangers laugh and reply.

What’s inside the crash course:

You’ll learn how to…

• Write cold pitches that charm, disarm, and get responses from dream clients
  
• Follow up without sounding pushy (even when they’ve ignored you five times)
  
• Turn a testimonial request into a delightful compliment trap
  
• Ask for referrals without it feeling weird
  
• Invite yourself onto podcasts and actually get booked
  
• Pitch journalists in a way that makes their day instead of ruining it
  
• Write upsell emails to sell more to your existing clients without it feeling awkward
  
• Use charm in direct mail (yes, envelopes and stamps) to reach hard-to-access decision makers
  
• A Q&A session from the live workshop

We’ll break down real examples, showing the structure, persuasion tactics, and humour formulas that make them work.

It’s not just what to write. It’s why it works.

Here’s just some of the things you’ll learn:

• The story behind how I accidentally charmed RedBull into taking a meeting with an email I barely remember writing
• The most effective call to action isn’t a question or a pitch – it’s a self-deprecating line wrapped in charm
• How turning the unsubscribe link into a joke increased my reply rate (and how you can do it without being annoying)
• The exact moment a prospect laughed so hard they forwarded my email to the entire team (and still booked a call)
• The email format that mimics a press release and makes PR directors double-take and laugh
• The technique of writing emails like stage plays (and how to use dialogue, italics, and bracketed thoughts to delight readers)
  Why the phrase “Hi, I’m better with pictures than words” disarms scepticism faster than a portfolio link
• A pitch structure so non-threatening it feels like a chat in a pub, even when it’s selling a retainer
• How asking for testimonials with absurd humility gets you better copy than begging nicely ever did
• The “Choose 1, 2 or 3” method that lets you pitch journalists without sounding desperate or clueless
• The subtle art of pairing flattery with farce – and why it gets replies from even the busiest execs
• What happens when you offer to work for free in a way that sounds like an elaborate dare
• Why referencing tequila, monocles, and dogs in one sentence can generate more leads than a polished sales page
• How to make your subject line sound like a tabloid headline (without sounding spammy)
• Why pretending your email might ruin your career makes it weirdly more trustworthy
• The real reason my students keep using the same ferret joke – and still get results
• How turning an upsell email into a wine-fuelled confession led to doubling a client’s spend
• The sentence I stole from Hunter S. Thompson that makes people open and reply
• What happened when I used all five stages of grief to pitch someone who ghosted me – and how they responded

BONUS: Template Swipe File (With Analysis)

You’ll also get a swipe file containing all of the templates included in the crash course.

This screenshot has been blurred for obvious reasons 😀

However, I thought you should get to see what exactly what to expect from this swipe file. It’s a great accompaniment to the Charming Copy Crash Course.

These are the templates in the swipe file:

• The Original Drunk Cold Email
  The legendary email that accidentally launched a business. Written tipsy, sent boldly, and resulted in meetings with global brands. Breaks every conventional rule and still wins. A case study in comic timing, absurdity, and charm.
• The 5 Stages of Grief Follow Up Sequence: Follow-Up Email 1 (Denial)
  Kicks off the grief sequence with performative melodrama. The sender cannot fathom why their hilarious cold email has been ghosted. Includes quote formatting, mock-theatrics, and gentle pressure disguised as humour.
  
• “The 5 Stages of Grief Follow Up Sequence: Follow-Up Email 2 (Anger)
  Anger, but misdirected inward. Instead of blaming the prospect, the writer turns the rage on themselves for daring to believe they’d get a reply. This template is a masterclass in emotional overreaction as a rapport device.
• The 5 Stages of Grief Follow Up Sequence: Follow-Up Email 3 (Bargaining)
  Complete with faux-begging and a tongue-in-cheek offer of free work. This message captures attention by playfully subverting sales tropes. Also: includes tips for mocking your own desperation in a charming way.
• “The 5 Stages of Grief Follow Up Sequence: Follow-Up Email 4 (Depression)
  The sender is broken. Hollow. Philosophical. Includes a mock-interior monologue about sales futility. Then, bam: a final attempt to charm them with a 5-minute call offer. Cynicism with a heart.
• The 5 Stages of Grief Follow Up Sequence: Follow-Up Email 5 (Acceptance)
  The final stage of grief. The email gently closes the chapter with grace, humour, and one last invitation. A brilliant example of using reverse psychology and emotional closure to draw a response.
• The 5 Stages of Grief Follow Up Sequence: Follow-Up Email 6 (The Dreaded Break-Up Email)
  Officially declares the end of your outreach journey. It contains a farewell, a thank-you, and one more cheeky nudge. Used with great success to provoke FOMO responses from fence-sitters.
• PR & Comms Director Pitch (Press Release Format)
  Formatted like a corporate press release. Designed to grab attention from over-pitched media contacts. Stuffy structure meets self-aware humour.
• Freelance Designer Template
  Built for visual creatives. Lean on text, strong on charm. Includes a concise pitch and the call-to-action: “The next part of the comic strip is up to you.” Encourages whimsy and collaboration.
• Freelance Content Writer Template
  The definitive pitch for wordsmiths. Funny, self-aware, and layered with storytelling. Comes complete with real client examples, fabricated humility, and the option to offer free ideas.
• Freelance SEO Consultant Template
  SEO with a soul. Includes specific advice as a gift, plus jokey disclaimers, unusual formatting, and a picture of a dog in a top hat to disarm B2B boredom. It’s technical credibility meets comedic disarmament.
• Invite Yourself Onto Podcasts Email
  For thought leaders, charmers, or misfits looking for mic time. Makes the case for why you should be a guest by combining story, results, screenshots, and yes – a ferret.
• Journalist Pitch (“Choose 1, 2 or 3”)
  Gives journalists 3 joke options to rate your idea, making it easy to respond. You show you’re thoughtful, self-aware, and not a demanding flak. Can be reused in other outreach contexts too.
• Ask For Testimonials Template
  A lighthearted way to request praise. Uses self-deprecation and mock-grandiosity to lower resistance. Bonus: includes a suggestion for a sheepish selfie.
• Ask For Referrals Template
  Perfect for former clients or collaborators. Offers a finder’s fee plus a drink, making this feel like a friendly gesture – not a grabby hustle.
• Upsell / Expansion Email Template
  Proposes a scope increase or bigger retainer with humour and logic. “You get better results. We get more money. Win-win.” Direct, cheeky, and highly usable.
• Quora Ad Appeal Email
  The ultimate bureaucratic charm-offensive. A love letter to the Quora ads team explaining a rejected ad, layered with praise, jokes, and a monocled dog. Surprisingly persuasive.
• Direct Mail Follow-Up (Colin Sticker Campaign)
  Designed to be sent after someone receives your ridiculous physical mail (yes, there’s a sticker involved). A hybrid of apology, intrigue, and invitation.

Each template includes full email copy, commentary, and breakdowns on structure, tone, and tactics – so you don’t just copy them, you understand how to invent your own. These aren’t just plug-and-play – they’re designed to help you get better at writing cold emails that actually convert.

Does my stuff work?

Of course it does. I have hundreds of testimonials just like these: