Sales Page Mastery: How Copywriter Courtney Chaal Turned Her Biggest Fear Into a Thriving Business

In this enlightening episode of The Nathan Newberry Show, Courtney Chaal shares her journey from being terrified of writing sales pages to becoming a sought-after sales copywriting expert. With over a decade of experience in the online business world, Courtney reveals her strategies for creating effective sales copy, integrating AI tools, and maintaining a sustainable approach to business that prevents burnout while maximizing impact.

From Paris to Sales Page Mastery: Courtney's Unexpected Journey

Courtney Chaal's entrepreneurial story began in an unexpected place—a tiny maid's quarters in Paris with a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower from her bedroom window. In 2011, while working as a nanny, she discovered the world of online business through a webinar (or possibly a teleconference, as she humorously notes how primitive online marketing was back then).

"I was sitting there on my bed eating my sushi and I was watching some kind of webinar or something," Courtney recalls. "I was like 22 or 23, I could not figure out what I wanted to do after I moved home from France... I just was like, if I could make $30,000 a year for the rest of my life and never have to get a real job, I'd be so happy."

This modest goal—influenced by having graduated during the recession—would eventually evolve into something much greater as Courtney discovered copywriting. With her lifelong fascination with language and psychology, copywriting seemed like the perfect blend of her interests.

However, there was one aspect of copywriting that terrified her: sales pages.

"I wanted to write every page of copy of someone's website except for the sales page at first... but the sales page freaked me out, and yet people kept asking for help with it."

The paradox wasn't lost on Courtney—despite the negative connotations around sales, it was what people consistently requested help with. Facing her fear, she immersed herself in sales education:

1. She checked out every book on sales and copywriting from the library
2. She studied successful sales pages, even hand-copying Amy Porterfield's Facebook ads sales page to internalize the structure
3. She developed a systematic understanding of sales psychology

The breakthrough came when she realized sales pages weren't mysterious or manipulative—they followed a logical structure. "It's just a math formula, it's not that complicated. It's pretty basic, you just have to put things in the right order."

This realization led to her creating the "Sales Page CPR" service, which became her signature offering and helped her business take off. By niching down to this specific, high-demand service, people began to recognize her expertise: "Oh, Courtney, sales pages, yeah."

Reframing the Sales Process: Psychology and Value-Driven Approaches

Courtney's approach to sales copywriting challenges the negative stereotypes that many, particularly women, have internalized about selling:

"I'm really passionate about rewriting the narrative for people, especially women I feel have really struggled with stories we've been told and conditioning we have around selling... that it's hard and negative."

She sees this conditioning as a barrier preventing people from effectively serving those they're trying to help. Her work focuses on both the strategy of creating signature services and the psychology that enables entrepreneurs to confidently sell them.

What makes Courtney's approach unique is her integration of value throughout the sales process. Rather than separating "value content" from "sales content," she believes in blending them:

1. Value-rich sales pages: "I like writing sales pages that are like epic and they're like a master class in a sales page that also makes you want to buy the thing."
2. Mini webinars on work-with-me pages: "I teach people to put what I call magical mini webinars on their work-with-me pages for services... Course creators have been using webinars forever, why don't service providers add little trainings on their work-with-me pages?"
3. Consent-based selling: "The sales pitch should never be like in your face. It's like, 'Hey, if you liked this and you want to continue, here's how you can. If not, that's fine too.'"

This approach creates what Courtney calls "excuses to send people to the sales content" because it contains genuine value. It transforms the traditional view of a sales page from something pushy or manipulative to a valuable resource that helps prospects make informed decisions.

Integrating AI Tools: A Practical Approach to ChatGPT for Copywriters

While some copywriters resist AI tools like ChatGPT, viewing them as threats to their profession, Courtney takes a more practical approach. She acknowledges the value these tools can provide while understanding their limitations.

"Copywriters in general can be very elitist about their profession, and I am so not on the same page as that. I think if you can talk, you can write, and at this point, you don't even really need to talk to write."

Courtney believes that subject matter experts already have the knowledge needed for great copy—they just need help with structure and formulation, which is where AI can be invaluable. Her approach to using ChatGPT involves:

1. Building a relationship with your AI: "I engage with my ChatGPT bot—her name is Botney, by the way—every day... so Botney knows me, and Botney is able to be more helpful for me."
2. Using it for first drafts: "One of the hardest parts of copywriting is getting started... at this point, I just have ChatGPT do that for me."
3. Making it interactive: "Actually, one thing people forget with ChatGPT is like, make ChatGPT ask you the questions... Tell it, 'I need you to ask me questions in order to help me clarify my offer or write my sales page.'"

She emphasizes that effective use of AI tools comes from experimentation rather than trying to formulate the perfect prompt immediately. It's about an ongoing dialogue where each interaction helps the AI better understand your needs and style.

While Courtney doesn't recommend publishing AI-generated copy without human intervention, she notes that it can reduce the time spent on first drafts by at least 50%. The key is understanding that AI is a tool that supports rather than replaces human creativity and expertise.

The Sustainable Approach to High Performance

When asked about her definition of high performance, Courtney's response reflects her evolution as an entrepreneur:

"I think I used to think it was like checking certain boxes in my routine, like productivity and all of that. I think high performance for me now is first of all having a vision, knowing where I'm going... but the thing I'm on right now is having mastery and a fully regulated nervous system."

This focus on nervous system regulation might seem unusual as a performance metric, but Courtney explains that it encompasses everything from exercise and nutrition to sleep and stress management. Most importantly, it's about developing "the capacity to handle more hard things."

"The more I go on, the more I realize it's not about being successful so you don't have challenges—it's actually about being able to face challenges in a more healthy way."

This philosophy extends to her business approach, which prioritizes sustainability over rapid growth. Her number one rule? "There are no emergencies in online business."

"I've done the work-all-the-time burnout thing... What I realized from that is you actually create worse things when you're doing that. You're not as creative, you're not as productive."

By putting life first—including sleep, exercise, entertainment, and family time—Courtney believes she produces better work and has stayed in the online business game longer than many peers who burned out despite initial success.

"I'm a bit more of a tortoise than a hare. I'm slow and steady, but I'm okay with that, and it's a long game."

Conclusion: The Sales Page as the Foundation of Your Marketing

One of the most counterintuitive yet powerful strategies Courtney shares is creating the sales page before fully developing the offer:

"I love to create the sales page first, even before I create the offer, because the sales page tells me what I need to create. It tells me what's going to sell."

This approach ensures that the offer is built around what will resonate with customers rather than personal preferences that might not have market appeal. It also creates a "Bible" for all subsequent marketing content:

"I use the sales page as the Bible. It's like I'm repurposing the sales page content as much as possible because I want there to be congruency and repetition between those things."

By extracting content categories from the sales page—mistakes people make, misconceptions they have, how-to guidance, and visual demonstrations—Courtney creates a cohesive marketing strategy where every piece of content leads naturally to the offer.

This integrated approach to sales and marketing reflects a broader trend in the online business world. As Courtney notes, "I see everything as sales, everything," and believes that every piece of content should include some form of sales message, even if subtle.

For entrepreneurs struggling with sales anxiety or looking to improve their conversion rates, Courtney's journey provides valuable lessons. By facing her own fear of sales pages, she not only transformed her business but developed a methodology that helps others overcome their resistance to selling—ultimately allowing them to better serve their clients and create sustainable, fulfilling businesses.