Today's business news & commentary: Susanna's Online Magazine: copywriting, Internet marketing, direct response.

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Monday, January 4th

When Great Businesses Lose Their Edge

As an avid weight lifter and bodybuilding fan, I like and appreciate good quality gym clothes and related supplies. Oh, I know that's odd for a woman of a certain age. But hey, let's not get personal.

I used to order lots of things from goldsgear.com. I always liked the old Gold's Gym. My bodybuilding buddies loved it. In the Golden Age it was king.

Well sir, the stuff I got was high quality. Great stuff. Well- made. It cost a bit more. But I didn't mind paying the price because it was high quality and just felt good on the skin. The material was always the best you could buy and the stitching fabulous.

Then one day I got my order. Opened it up. What a mess! At first sight I saw shabby workmanship. Second Rate lettering. This was gawd-awful stuff. My old friend had let me down.

I returned the stuff and never ordered from Gold's Gear again. And, about a year later, they were out of business.

What had happened? A great business lost its edge.

Another business I used to love was Starbucks. Now, as a disclaimer, I must tell you I still buy two pounds of Italian Roast beans from Starbucks every week or so. But it's not the same. Here's why.

When I first went to a Starbucks, my coffee came in the neatest little glass cup. You know, the kind you can see through. And the taste --- oh my what a full, rich flavor! I was sold on Starbucks that instant.

I was buying not just a coffee but an experience. I was buying something unique and it was well worth the extra money.

But alas, Starbucks changed. No more little class cups. Now it's paper cups like everyone else. I hate paper cups. I even use china cups at home.

Moreover, the coffee quality is not consistent and often it's downright putrid.

Starbucks lost its edge.

Now added to my list of disappointments is the great Amazon.com. The great marketer. The king of the hill with the marketing that used to make me thrill.

They used to ship books in sturdy boxes. You never got a roughed-up book from Amazon. You got fast service and caring quality --- every time.

Moreover, their Web site was tops. Always easy to browse and order. Never a problem.

Fast forward to 2010. Amazon throws a hardback book in a padded envelope and ships it off to you. Sometimes the book is not even great quality but sort of second rate, maybe even scuffed up a bit. The packaging now is downright shabby.

To make matters worse, when I'm looking for a book on Amazon, this stupid Web site of theirs will, out of nowhere, send me to another page in an effort to sell me something. Damn! It did that once just as I was about to click the buy button. Then I forgot the name of the book I was about to buy and ended up buying nothing.

Now, I ask you, is that smart for Amazon to do that? No. Amazon has lost its edge.

Will I continue to buy from Amazon? Sure. But I find I buy less from them now and more from Abes and Alibris and even my local Barnes and Noble.

Great businesses get different types of starts. Some start off a bit rough but then pick up the pace and leapfrog to the front. Others start at the front. Yet others get there after many tries and failures.

Some businesses get better. But all too often, great businesses let their guard down. They stop doing what made them great. They lose their edge.

Once a business loses its edge, it begins a decline. It starts to become just like every other business in its category. It becomes just a commodity.

Never take your customers or clients for granted. Never stop giving the very best service in your category. Always give more than anyone else. If you ever stop doing that, you'll lose your edge and the business that loses its edge eventually loses business. Some even go out of business.

It's really sad when great businesses lose their edge.

Technorati Tags:
business, amazon, starbucks, golds gym, marketing, salesmanship, sales, lose business

Susanna on 01.04.10 @ 04:12 PM CDT [link]

Friday, September 11th

How To Stop Unqualified Tire-Kickers From Filling Out Your Copywriting Quote Request Form

One of the most aggravating things about providing a copywriting quote is giving a quote to a totally unqualified person. By unqualified I mean someone who can't afford a copywriter or doesn't understand the value of one or is simply killing time by taking valuable time from other people.

Look at it this way: It takes as much time to work up a quote for a worthless name as it does to a name that has real value to you. So, why waste that valuable time?

You can virtually eliminate this problem by doing a few simple things. First, make it known in your quote form that you have some specific rules of the road. For example, I don't take payments. I get all my fee upfront. Of course, that's more common today than when I started online. But it's smart to put that in your quote form page. By the way, if you don't get your entire fee upfront, you may never get it. So consider doing so.

The main thing you should do to keep the tire-kickers at bay is to put a minimum fee or even your price range on the page that contains your form. You don't need to list all your fees. Simply have a reasonable minimum. Why? You'd be surprised at the lame brains who think they can hire a seasoned copywriter for fifty bucks! Do you really want those bums knocking on your door and wasting your time? I don't.

You need to put some qualifiers in the text that goes before the form. Qualify those prospects. Discard the tire-kickers and time-wasters. You'll get fewer requests for quotes but they'll be more qualified. And you really don't want any other kind.

Technorati Tags: copywriter, copywriting, quote request form, copywriting quote, advertising, marketing, Website

Susanna on 09.11.09 @ 04:20 PM CDT [link]

Thursday, July 30th

What To Do When the Prospective Client Says They Can't Afford Your Copywriting Fees.

Perhaps the most common objection we copywriters hear is, "I can't afford your fees." In fact, that's the most common objection to just about any purchase.

In truth, people hate the thought of paying a copywriter. I'm not sure why. Few people have the training or ability to sell through the use of words on screen or in print. And, in reality, the success or failure of a business depends first on having a good product or service, next on providing quality service and finally on the sales message.

The copywriter can't control the two former must-haves but they can control the latter.

The first thing you should do is to give your prospective clients two or three options. Don't give them more. People get confused and when that happens, they make NO decisions at all.

I have done that in buying a TV. There are far too many kinds of televisions and too many features and benefits that I simply haven't decided what to buy yet.

OK. So to the heart of this post. What do you say when the prospective client says he can't afford your fees?

NEVER LOWER YOUR FEES! Let a deal go before you lower your fees. You can offer to do less work for less fee. But don't lower your fees. You know what your service is worth.

Here's what you do. Ask the person, "What do you expect to make from this mailing (or Web site or whatever he wants written.)?" Of course, he always hopes to earn a fortune. So he gives you a figure.

You then say, "OK. So let me understand this. You want to earn $1 million from this copy but you don't want to pay me $10,000 to make that happen. Is that right?

From there, he sees how ridiculous his objection is. He sees the outgo vs the income side by side and the $10,000 doesn't look so big.

Always show the prospective client the value he'll receive in return for his investment. Copywriting fees should not be negotiable. I know some copywriters do negotiate. But that's a mistake.

For every nickle you take off the table for the client, you must take an equal amount of your services off the table. You're not in business to lose money and you can't do a good job for your clients when you're not paid what you're worth.

Try this next time you hear the client complain about your high fees.

It will work most of the time with most worthwhile clients.
Susanna on 07.30.09 @ 06:51 PM CDT [link]

Sunday, May 24th

10 Things You Can Do To Keep Your Copywriting Clients From Scamming You.

Michel Fortin, copywriter, said that a client for whom he did some copywriting for seven months ago (last year) asked for a refund yesterday. He said that If he couldn't get a refund, he would charge back the fee on his credit card. The reason he gave for wanting a refund was that he "needed the money." Plain and simple.

Clients are beginning to try to rough us up. So, as I see it, we're going to have to fight back. I'm no longer going to accept credit cards, for example. I've also tightened up my contract.

I'm finding clients want to pay you a few nickels and work you to death. These same people would probably never think of behaving this way if it were not for their fears and insecurities.

In my practice, I've only had one client stop payment on a check. That check is posted on this site. When you search on his name, it's the first thing the searcher sees. I assume this may cost the person some business. This is the price we pay when we defraud someone.

I've had one client hit me with a chargeback. I took care of him by similar methods. Yet another client had to be prosecuted. Beyond these few clients, I've had no problem with the many people I've written sales copy for or consulted with.

Recently I had a client who paid me a very small fee ask me to write more for him. He claimed he wasn't happy with what I wrote for him. I gave him what I contracted to give him. But he wanted to keep me working for a small fee. I said I would not. He said he would do a chargeback. If he does, I'll either press charges or make his name public. Work once done cannot be undone. You can return a book to Amazon. You can't return work that a copywriter performs, that a doctor performs, that a lawyer performs. These are professionals who perform professional services. They do not give refunds or guarantees. Period.

But clients are getting nasty because they're scared and insecure. Bad Client Behavior Is On the Rise says Advertising Age in a post today. All of us in our business are feeling it.

Here are my suggestions as to how we copywriters should handle this growing problem.

1. Always charge your full fee in full, upfront. No exceptions.
2. Always use a legally binding agreement.
3. Do not accept credit cards except from businesses you absolutely know you can trust.
4. Accept company checks, money orders, certified, cashiers checks and wired funds only.
5. Do not accept personal checks.
6. Do not begin any work until any check clears. Service other clients first.
7. Never use Paypal. They do not fight for your rights.
8. Use Amazon Payments in the few instances you must take a credit card.
9. Watch for red flags.
10. Do a background check on all prospective clients.

None of us has lived through anything like this before. Your clients are scared and insecure. The young ones are mortified. They've only known good times, prosperity.

My grandmother and mother lived through The Great Depression. They told me that to them it didn't seem so bad because everyone was going through the same thing. My family made it through the horrible economic tumble by being industrious. My material grandpa worked for the Santa Fe Railroad. My paternal grandpa owned a shoe repair shop. Since people repaired their shoes rather than buy new ones, he did well.

But I still recall how The Great Depression left a terrible scar on my grandparents and my parents. How they felt about banks and money and work changed their lives. They lived in constant fear. Today, that's the new norm again.

People know that if they don't have professional sales copy they'll not survive. So, many are beginning to scam us. They're especially trying to scam those of us who have been around longer and have good reputations and a lot of experience. Why? We can do them the most good and get them the best results.

I'm changing the way I operate my copywriting service. I'm offering prospects two or three options, including the single draft option. That's the option where the client agrees to accept the copy with no changes or revisions or other work. They accept the first draft. I don't recommend this option. But, it's all some clients can afford. You might consider that in your practice.

While we must have compassion for our clients, we must not let them scam us. Now is the time to put protective measures in place to keep from losing the money that you work so hard for.

If you want to comment on this post or provide your own suggestions, follow me on Twitter.

copywriting, copywriters, copywriter, clients, advertising, writing, marketing, sales, bad great depression, recession, business, internet marketing

Susanna on 05.24.09 @ 07:08 PM CDT [link]

Monday, May 18th

How To Conduct a Successful Interview

I was scared out of my boots the first time I interviewed the governor of the state. I was a young journalist. I wanted the story. I wanted the interview. But journalism school had ill prepared me for this interview. Well, the interview went well. Oh, yes . . . I thought I had tape in the recorder and didn't. But all journalists do that at least once in their career and I was no exception. A gun without a bullet is just part of the dues one must pay.

Since then, I've interviewed many governors, senators, city and county officials, actors and others who consider themselves important beings far removed from the mere mortal. What I've learned may help you if part of your job description is the interview.

I listen to numerous interviews on podcasts. I watch interviews on the Internet. Most are just gawd-awful. Interviewing is a skill and few people have it. Let's talk about what to do and not to do in the interview. These do's and don't's are for you whether you interview for print, air or video.

1. Never be in awe of your interviewee.
2. Never be intimidated by anyone. They're just a human like you.
3. Don't try to be the star.
4. Don't run your mouth.
5. Know the questions you'll ask in advance.
6. Ask questions your audience would ask if they had the chance.
7. If it's a video, make sure the camera is on your interviewee's face as well as yours.
8. Make sure the sound is good. Use the right type of mic.
9. Always make your guest comfortable.
10. The interview should be a conversation, not an interrogation.

The first thing I do is tell my guest that I'll begin recording shortly but let's just chat for a bit. I get her chatting and forgetting about the interview. Then, quietly I begin recording without saying a word. She may not even know the interview has started. She's at ease. We just talk. Give and take.

"I read a lot of self-help books in my spare time," I tell her. "What do you like to read or do in your spare time?" And she starts talking about her interests. We begin to see the person she is in her private world. You should offer a bit of personal information about yourself and get her to open up, give her opinions.

Remember, people love to talk about themselves above anything else. But, they'll be guarded in an interview. They'll want to present their best selves. Your job is to let your audience see them as they really are.

Just talk to them as you would a friend. But don't be ga ga over them. Don't gush no matter who they are. You're equals.

In law school I learned how to ask questions that people had to answer. I won't try and teach that to you at this time. But, as an interviewer, you need to learn how to construct your questions in a way that will get the true answers. Don't ask questions that will get a simple "yes" or "no" more than you have to.

The key to a good interview is to first have all the technical issues worked out. The sound, the video, all that should be working as it should. Then, prepare for the interview. Know your guest. Know what he's done. Know about his personal life. Know it all. Then, ask questions that show you care.

Oprah and Ellen are two of the greatest interviewers. Notice how they are open about themselves with their guests and yet how they pull their guests out with their warmth and compassion. Watch these two in interviews and you'll soon see how a good interview is conducted.

Bombing in an interview is not a good thing. You'll never have a chance to undo a bad interview.

interview techniques, oprah, ellen, how to interview, interview skills, podcasts, interviewing

Susanna on 05.18.09 @ 09:59 PM CDT [link]

Tuesday, April 7th

How Newspapers Can Be Profitable Again

Having come from a family who owned and published small town newspapers and having published my own, I understand the newspaper business well. Newspapers depend on advertising for survival. Today, newspapers are not getting enough advertising to survive. Thus, they're dying.

We can quickly get news almost as it happens. We do not need the newspapers to tell us what the president is doing or isn't doing. We know almost instantly when something of any sort happens anywhere in the world. And those of us without Internet access or text messages get our news from the 24-hour television news stations. Print newspapers are irrelevant for this sort of news. Advertisers know this so they take their ad dollars where they'll do the most good.

So how can newspapers show a profit again? How can they survive. To me, the answer is incredibly simple. Print local news only.

What most people in every community want to know and don't get on the Internet or on television is who did what in their town. Who died? The obits are one of the most popular sections of the newspaper. What is local government doing to make our lives miserable and steal our tax dollars? We want to know.

We want to know about Hoi Polloi of the town. We want to see pictures of the man on the street. We want his opinions and ideas. We want to see OUR PEOPLE. We want pictures of people. Local people. We want local sports, local events, local ads --- everything about us. We're all narcissistic and we want to see US.

But the self-important newspapers try to be the grand news channel of the past. It can't be. Those days are gone. I'm sorry as I can be about it but it's true. Those days are gone. Newspapers do not rule anymore. Editors and reporters are drudges and quite useless. That is unless they can give us totally local news.

If they were to do that, they could get more subscribers and more advertising revenue. If they do not, they will gradually die and be forced to give their news away on the Internet.

It's not rocket science. Newspapers can be profitable again.

Tech Tags: newspapers, journalism, journalist, advertising, talk, opinion, blogs, rants, misc

Susanna on 04.07.09 @ 07:33 PM CDT [link]

Friday, February 27th

What Copywriting Clients Want and What You Should Give Them.

It's hard to please many copywriting clients. You may be the greatest copywriter alive. But you'll get your share of dissatisfied clients. Or, if you offer refunds (a very bad practice), you'll get lots of them as people will use you and then ask for their money back. Don't offer refunds. Doctors don't. Lawyers don't. You shouldn't. That is for products and non-professionals.

But, I digress.

Why are some clients dissatisfied? The reason, in most cases, is simple. They expect you to regurgitate their thinking and write their thoughts and ideas --- not yours. Of course, they won't tell you that. They may not even know that's what they want. But, it is.

I'll give you an example. A client wanted a print ad. I interviewed him for about an hour and recorded the conversation, as is my practice. In going over the interview, I captured the whole ad in his own words. I wrote the ad and he loved it. Why? Not because of my writing but rather because he heard his own beloved voice in the ad. He heard his precious thoughts and ideas in his ears and through his eyes.

The ad didn't pull too well so he asked me to write another one. This time I wrote it using my own thinking and style and it pulled extremely well.

Having said that, many times the client will give you extremely valuable information in the interview. It can be incorporated in the advertising. But, not always. The client is in love with his own thoughts, his own ideas. What many want is for you to write his thoughts and ideas. It's your job to determine if that's in his own best interest or not. If you decide it's not and use your own judgment, he probably will not like your copy. But, if he's smart enough to use it, he'll be grateful.

Taking this a bit further, clients want great copy and wonderful service. Trouble is, they don't want to pay for it. For example, you can get slogans written from $395 for a package to $2000 a package to $20,000 or more. What makes the difference in price? Usually it's the amount of time and work the copywriter puts into the job of creating the slogan.

My preference when creating a slogan is to interview a number of my client's customers. That will generally give me the USP (unique selling proposition) and lots of other valuable information. But, in reality, that's expensive. It takes lots of my time. Lots fo work. And the fee would be around $15,000 to $20,000. Clients won't or can't pay that.

So I offer a package. I work from the information they send me. It's hard to come up with a really terrific slogan that way. That means some dissatisfied clients. Clients simply do not understand how much work is involved in "real" copywriting. And, frankly, most of us can't afford to do that sort of copywriting because clients will not pay for it.

The executives of Nike didn't especially like the "Just Do It" slogan when they first heard it. But Dan Wieden, of Wieden and Kennedy Advertising Agency believed they had a winner. Of course, he was right and the Nike executives were wrong.

The bottom line is this: You'll not please all of your clients. Many will be totally unhappy with you. Don't let them get you down or make you feel as if you're not good at your craft. If they don't even try your copy, they have absolutely no way to know if it's good or not. Their judgment is not the final word on the value of your copy. You should always write to make sales --- not to please your clients.

Famous copywriter, Eugene Schwartz, said that he missed the mark many times with his writing. No one hits the ball out of the park every time. But, if you're a good copywriter, your value is not diminished by one or two or a dozen unhappy clients. Nor is it diminished by some ads that don't work. There are many reasons ads don't work. Not all of it has to do with copy.

Forget the dissatisfied clients. Give clients what they're willing to pay for. That's all you can be expected to do.

Tech Tags: copywriting, copywriters, copywriter, clients, advertising, writing, marketing, sales

Susanna on 02.27.09 @ 06:54 PM CDT [link]

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Award-winning journalist and freelance copywriter, Susanna K. Hutcheson, presents news, thoughts and ideas on the world of business, marketing, copywriting and much more.