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

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]

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]

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.

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.

It's Time To Re-Think Your Marketing Strategy.

Two years ago you could do well with clients who didn't have the large budgets and great products of more mature clients. Not so today. In this economy you must re-think your marketing strategy. Moreover, you must re-think the type of client you want to market to.

Clients who could afford your service a year or two ago can no longer do so in many cases. So, unless you're willing to lower your fees, you need to market for more substantial clients. Lowering your fees is seldom a good idea. The only time you should lower your fees is to offer less service. Since that won't make you look good long-term, I suggest you don't do that.

Sit down sometime this week and think about your business. Where are you. How is your income? How does it stack up against one or two years ago? Then, consider how to reposition yourself and market yourself to a new class of client.

Fact is, most everyone is experiencing a severe slowdown. But there are smart folks out there who know they must have their own marketing strategy evaluated and start doing something major very quickly or they'll go out of business. That's where you come in.

While I only accept two clients and no more, there are others out there who can. Perhaps you can. Offer your best clients a strategy. Different copywriters charge different fees for a strategy. Some do a complete marketing plan. Others a more simple strategy. Either way, help your clients determine how they should change their marketing during this bad time.

Seriously reconsider where you are and where your clients are. It's time for you, and them, to re-think that all-important marketing strategy. If you don't, if they don't, times will get much worse very quickly.

Sign Up For The Chris Marlow Marketing Method For Copywriters.

Learn how to market your copywriting business with the
acclaimed MARLOW Marketing Method™ Home Study Course

Chris Marlow, the original copywriter's coach, now offers
her acclaimed self-marketing coaching program for
freelancers in an affordable home study system. This
24-point system is the same one Chris used to build her
highly profitable copywriting business and it's the system
she's taught her coaching students to use since 2003.

If you want to build your freelance business and attract
better clients, the MARLOW Marketing Method™ Home Study
Course is a must. This industry-leading coaching program
“in a box” is the complete and proven marketing system for
copywriters who want to target and land the high-quality,
high-value clients.

This comprehensive program leaves nothing out, in fact you
won't find a more complete self-marketing system anywhere.
It’ll take you from finding the niche that’s right for you
-- to closing the sale -- and all the way through your
business forms and professional work submission formats.
It’s a complete closed-loop business and marketing system,
and thankfully our industry finally has access to this
vital business-building information.

Without a doubt, this is the best self-marketing course
created exclusively for copywriters.  You'll be amazed at
how fast you can accelerate your success after completing
this program.

For more information about the MARLOW Marketing Method™
Home Study Course click here:
Full details here

David Ogilvy, One of the Greatest Copywriters - His Story

The new book about David Ogilvy, The King of Madison Avenue is one of the best biographies I've ever read. It also tells about great copywriting and what sets it apart of most copywriting.

While the author knew and had a deep respect for David Ogilvy, he provides us with what I believe to be a very honest biography of the man. You will meet the real David Ogilvy. You'll see all of his great strengths but you'll also see his weaknesses and his less than appealing side.

Ogilvy learned much of his copywriting skills from his mentor and later brother-in-law, Rosser Reeves. He also took a good deal of value from the great Claude Hopkins. He was a listener. He asked everyone lots of questions.

When he was writing copy for an ad or when he had a new account, he dug deeply and discovered just what really made that product different. Then he wrote some of the greatest sales copy ever written.

For example, the people at Dove soap wanted to sell it on the basis that it was neutral --- neither acid nor alkaline. Ogilvy knew that wouldn't sell Dove. He was, after all, a salesman.

So he probed. He found out how Dove was made. And, oh yes, it had cold cream in it. That was it! "DOVE IS ONE-QUARTER CLEANSING CREAM-IT CREAMS YOUR SKIN WHILE YOU WASH."

That's what people pay a "great" copywriter for. That's why copywriters are not cheap and if they are cheap, they're not this good. Ogilvy found the one thing that would sell the product and it did sell. Dove sales, for example, took off.

I found this book extremely well-written. It's exciting and informative. The author gives us a balanced look at Ogilvy, from his beginnings through his great career.

I've found that great copywriting is a skill few people have. But, that's OK. Most clients won't pay for it anyway. I reserve my very best work for clients who can afford to pay me what I'm worth.

Should you try to be a great copywriter like Ogilvy? Should you dig for the real, single-most unique selling proposition that will really sell your client's product. Of course. But don't waste that sort of work on the low paying clients you'll likely get on the Internet. Reserve it for high-paying clients who understand and appreciate that sort of copywriting and advertising.

On the Internet you'll find people who go so far as to think they can write their own copy. They have absolutely no idea what real copywriting is. And, you can't educate them. Save your energy.

I advise you to work for a great agency if you can. If not, find just a very few really terrific, well-paying clients. Then you can afford to be great. Otherwise, just be good enough.