Impromptu ability

I recently had the unfortunate experience of being asked to come up with copy for a website (a headline banner), on the spot, in no less than 60 seconds.

I was more than a little startled—mainly because it didn’t expect it, but also because my immediate thought was ‘what a stupid question’—which is why I’m sure I did a pretty rubbish job.

The thing is, I don’t know how or why this idea of ‘impromptu ability’—coming up with something that’s great on the spot—is so pervasive.

A great comedian like Seinfeld or Dave Chapelle doesn’t come up with their best work the spot. And neither do most other artists or makers.

In fact, I’d argue that the expectation that performers can do so—or should—can get in the way of creating something worth making. Because if it has to be perfect the first time, you'll give up without learning how to make it better the second.

In my experience, I’ve found that the expectation for writers to come up with something on the spot is why most copywriting sucks to begin with. It’s more effective to follow a process that works—that’s based on real data (or, at least, several iterations)—than to blindly come up with something that merely sounds good.

Sure, you may be great at figurative sight-reading. But no one pays for sight-reading, and no one should.

Better to both pay a premium, and work overtime to deliver, a practiced and polished-performance, instead.