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01/16/2005: "Copywriter Fires Crappy Clients."

I've been told that one of the best-known, most popular copywriters on the net has made some drastic changes. I can't blame him. I made these changes years ago. Here's what he said.

Since October, I've had several clients who refused to pay me for a variety of reasons, disappeared
from the face of the earth (with money still owing to me), or tested their copy before paying the balance and then used the "poor" results to justify NOT paying me.

It gets even worse.

Even after I fulfilled my obligations, I gave clients full refunds (they didn't ask, I just gave it to them out of goodwill), and a few whose balances I've completely waived, too. But the kicker is, some of them still stalk me for more — yes, I do mean that very literally.

One client actually posted on forums pestering me, and another even followed me around at a recent seminar, in person, hounding me for more work I "promised" as a gesture of good faith — even though I refunded that person every single penny they paid and said I'll do my best to finish the work on their copy.

(There's a reason why I couldn't do any more, and I'll come back to that shortly.)

Aside from the refunds and discounts, I still have to pay my researchers, editors and junior copywriters for any help they provided, out of my own pockets. And I'm not talking just a "few" thousand dollars here, either. I'm talking mucho dineros.

Finally, there were clients who changed their approach along the way, or modified my copy without my knowledge. It produced poor results or forced me to rewrite the copy (several times, even before the first draft), and slowed me down to a crawl.

The result? I have to take more time, slow everything else down, and take flak from them and other "good" clients for taking so long... leading to more refunds and discounts.

Heck, they even use their waiting time to make more changes — and then they have the audacity to react hostilely to my lack of promptitude. (Ugh.)

This is just an iceberg's tip.

I can go on and on, but you get the picture. However, there's something even worse than all that. Something that became the pivotal moment in my recent series of changes.

The copywriter said he fired his bad clients and kept only the good ones.

Here's my take on this. Just in case you care. I get paid in full upfront. Period. I don't make any guarantees. Period. I don't give money back. Period.

Would you ask your doctor for a money-back guarantee?

A copywriter who offers these things shows he is hungry for business at any cost.

I suspect this copywriter will learn, as I did, that when you take care of yourself first, you do a better job for the clients you do accept.