If you are a copywriter and want to make sure you never get cheated or screwed over in any way when doing your deals, then this article will show you how.

Listen: I'm very familiar with people trying to screw me over in business. Reason why is because I'm a copywriter who does deals on pure commission. In other words, I take no up- front fees and, instead, get paid a very large commission on the gross sales. This means a lot more money for me if I win...and nothing if I lose.

It also means I'm especially at risk for being taken advantage of or outright cheated. The following is what I do to protect myself, and you can easily do the same thing -- no matter what you sell or who you deal with.

Check this out: In my experience, the whole key to protecting yourself has nothing to do with air-tight agreements or shark-like lawyers.

Reason why is because of simple mathematics. Unless there's a LOT of money at stake, it'll almost always cost you money to go after someone in court, even if you recover your money. Something most con artists and cheats are fully aware of when they sign your 28-pound, "iron-clad" contract.

Thankfully, there is one thing God gave you -- and every other human being on the planet -- that's free to use and, if used properly, is a thousand times more reliable than any lawyer or contract anyway.

And that is, quite simply, your nervous system -- or "gut feeling."

In fact, I know people who only do "hand shake" deals (no contracts) -- even with millions of dollars on the table -- and swear by their gut feeling. If something -- anything -- feels "wrong" they don't do the deal. If everything feels "right", then they do.

No lawyers, contracts or courts necessary.

I know that sounds almost radical, but think about this: Your five senses are constantly relaying information to your subconscious mind -- which is constantly sifting and sorting all this information for you "behind the scenes." Your senses are also picking up invisible signals, feelings and "vibes" from people you deal with (without you even realizing it), and recording them to your subconscious as well.

And so, whenever you are about to do a deal or trust someone, it "cross references" all the information you have on the deal -- and all the output and information it has on the person you are dealing with -- with all the experiences and knowledge you've gained throughout your entire life.

If something is "off" -- even if you can't consciously figure out what it is -- your nervous system is instantly activated and you get that "feeling" in your gut that warns you something isn't right. To ignore this, even with overwhelming "proof" that everything is okay, can be a big mistake.

I used to think this was all a bunch of mumbo jumbo. But it's not. In my own life, I have been screwed over twice in business and, when I looked back, I saw that both times were when I didn't trust my gut feeling.

And you want to know something?

If I had my choice of listening to my gut or relying on a 28-pound contract...I'd trust my gut every time.

Ben Settle is an expert copywriter and direct marketer. If you liked this article then check out Ben's website at http://bensettle.com -- and get your hands on over 500 pages of advertising ideas, strategies and tactics just like this one -- as well as rare swipe file ads and hot marketing information not easily found anywhere else.