Why have sales cycles gotten longer?

Rachel Allen's read is that trust takes longer to establish now and broadcast content is losing its influence. Buyers are checking with people they know rather than believing what a brand publishes. That moves the real decision into private conversations, which is slower and largely invisible from the marketing dashboard.

Why is my marketing not converting even though the strategy looks good?

Because a strategy that looks good on paper is optimising for the public part of the journey. Rachel's point is that the buying decisions are happening in DMs and group chats, not in your comments. Marketing that ignores the private conversation is measuring the wrong surface.

How did Rachel Allen close a five-figure deal on her first sales call?

By figuring it out in real time. She landed her first client without knowing what a nurture campaign even was, and worked it out as she went. She left the US at 22, started over in Hong Kong and found copywriting through necessity, which is roughly the same pattern repeating.

Does copywriting work like a sales conversation?

Rachel argues it mirrors one directly, which is why copy written without sales experience tends to fail. Good copy handles objections in the order a real prospect raises them. That framing also explains her caution about AI copy, which produces fluent text without knowing where the conversation actually resists.

marketing · podcast ·Mar 12, 2026

Why Your Marketing Isn't Working (And What Your Friends Know That You Don't) with Rachel Allen

by Drewbie Wilson

In Episode 150, Drewbie sits down with Rachel Allen, an experienced copywriter who's worked across industries—from astrologers to accountants—to unpack what's actually happening in marketing, sales cycles, and buyer trust right now.

Rachel shares her unconventional entry into copywriting, including landing her very first client—without knowing what a "nurture campaign" was—and closing a five-figure deal by figuring it out in real time. From there, the conversation dives deep into the intersection of sales, copywriting, psychology, and trust.

This episode breaks down why sales cycles have lengthened, why broadcast content is losing influence, and why your marketing might not be converting—even if your strategy "looks good on paper." Rachel delivers sharp insights on AI copywriting, email marketing, unsubscribes, and why the real buying decisions are happening in private conversations, not public comments.

If you sell anything high-ticket, relationship-driven, or trust-based, this episode is a must-listen.

Episode Highlights

Rachel's first-ever sales call and accidental five-figure close
Leaving the U.S. at 22 and starting over in Hong Kong
Discovering copywriting through necessity
Why copywriting mirrors a real sales conversation
The breakdown between marketing promises and sales reality
How poor marketing sets sales teams up to fail
Why sales teams should drive marketing messaging
The truth about AI copywriting and where it actually helps
Three foundational questions every piece of copy must answer
Why people don't engage with content anymore
How trust has shifted to private conversations
The real reason your offers aren't converting
Why email marketing is not dead
How to write subject lines that avoid spam filters
The psychology behind unsubscribes (and why not to take them personally)
How polarizing your message improves conversion

Key Takeaways

Copywriting is sales—written down.
If your marketing sounds different from your sales calls, something is broken.
Sales teams hold the truth.
They hear real fears, objections, and motivations—marketers should be listening.
Vibes are not strategy.
Clarity beats cleverness every time.
Nobody cares about your product—yet.
They care about themselves first. Speak to that.
Trust has moved offline.
People buy based on what their friends say, not what your content claims.
If people aren't buying, it's not the algorithm.
It's a trust problem.
AI separates the good from the great.
It replaces "okay" work—but not excellence.
Email still works—when done with respect.
Bad email marketing ruined email's reputation, not the medium itself.
Unsubscribes are not rejection.
They're aligned.
Strong reactions are better than mild interest.
The goal is resonance, not approval.

Rachel's 3 Rules for Better Copywriting

Define the exact goal.
Not "more leads"—but who, where, why, and at what stage.
Make it about the reader.
Your perspective doesn't matter until theirs is addressed.
Match the level of touch to the price.
High-ticket offers require human-to-human connection.

Why Your Content Isn't Converting

Rachel explains that modern buyers don't trust broadcast marketing the way they used to. Instead, decisions are made in:

Group chats
Private messages
Emails
One-on-one conversations

If those people don't trust you—or worse, don't like you—your funnel stalls.

Connect with Rachel Allen

🌐 Website:
https://www.boltfromthebluecopywriting.com/

📧 Email:
rachel@boltfromthebluecopywriting.com

💼 LinkedIn:
Search Rachel Allen – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelallenwrites/

Rachel helps businesses create human, trust-driven messaging that converts—without gimmicks, pressure, or empty hype.

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"By sales professionals, for sales professionals - Tales of your wildest sales stories and tactics to succeed in your sales career across various industries."

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