Whenever you work on a product, any product, it’s always best to try it out yourself. Seems obvious.  After all, how can you convince an audience of a product’s merit if you don’t have any first-hand knowledge of it?

That’s why, when I was writing my first commercial for Taco Bell, I ordered the entire 59 cent menu—and ate every bite.  I bought and drank two six-packs of Hornsby’s Hard Cider when I was looking for inspiration (come to think of it, I still occasionally look for inspiration that way.)  And I went running in a pair of Avia athletic shoes before I ever set pen to paper (unfortunately for my inspiration and my running, the soles immediately started peeling off).

So when I got the opportunity to write these Verizon emails, I jumped at the chance to try the product for myself.  The company is renowned for having the best mobile network money can buy (with rates to match).  But as a long-suffering mobile customer, any excuse to switch carriers was fine with me.

Thankfully, it was worth it.  I got to work on some fun email projects—and the dropped calls I experienced on a daily basis dropped to zero.