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

Should You Ask For a Budget in Your Quote Request Form?

Most copywriters have a quote request form on their Web site. If you're a copywriter, you most likely have one and depend on it to guide you in creating a quote that is a good match for the job the prospective client needs to have done.

Many copywriters, myself among them, asks the prospective clients to provide a budget for the copywriting part of their project. Since the beginning of the advertising industry, asking for a budget has been a standard question and one that's both expected and needed.

I find, however, that those folks who use the Internet to hire copywriters don't answer this important question honestly. It makes them as uncomfortable as a steer headed for Kansas City.

I think they feel you're trying to look under their skirt. Somehow they feel that if they give too large a figure, you'll do everything you can to get every last dime. Of course, we know that's a stupid attitude and not true. But that's the way the majority of them think.

The only people who expect to give a budget and know that it's part of what we truly need to know are the sophisticated businesspeople who are used to dealing with advertising agencies. All marketing people in Fortune 1000 companies, for example, expect the question and usually answer it honestly.

The small guy, the average person who goes to your Web site, doesn't understand this. He thinks it's an intrusive question and he usually will tick the lowest figure you've provided. He hopes by doing so you'll figure that's all you can get out of him and only charge that amount.

We, of course, know that won't happen. Just about everyone who fills out my form, ticks the lowest figure. I usually pay no attention to it and simply quote him my regular fees for the type of work he needs done.

But there are a few times when I'll simply email them and tell them that I can't do what they want for that figure. I'll tell them that perhaps they ticked it by mistake or actually have a more realistic budget. If that's the case, I tell them to email me and let me know.

So back to the original question --- should you ask for a budget or now? My experience tells me that on the Internet it really doesn't matter. Since most people won't tell you the truth anyway, it's sort of a useless query. If they did tell you the truth, it would be extremely helpful and it would help you to give them exactly what they need and can afford. It's a question that's as much for their benefit as for yours. Probably more so.

Unfortunately, people tend to shoot themselves in both of their feet rather than tell the truth. So whether you ask or not really makes no difference. At least not on the Internet where you're dealing mostly with less sophisticated businesspeople who have never dealt with people in the advertising industry and don't understand how we work.
Susanna on 05.16.08 @ 05:37 PM CDT [link]

Most People Who Contact You Are Not Real Prospective Clients.

Most of the people who contact you are not really prospective clients. At least, that's the case with me. I no longer personally accept phone calls and I use email to make my initial contacts with people. Why?

I've found that most people are simply time-wasters. For example, I got a request for a quote today from a man who wanted a long microsite to sell a product.

"I tried several sales copy writer before for my product sold through www.url.com but it still could not achieve a conversion rate of 2%. I really need help on revising this sales copy to achieve much higher conversions. Currently the conversion rate for my sales letter is around 0.40% only. Would you be able to help me?"

That was his message to me. (I changed the URL.) But his budget? Under $1,000!

Do you see what I mean about most people being time-wasters? They seem to want the moon but can only afford a lawn chair from which to view it at night.

So what do you do to get "real" prospective clients to knock at your door?

For starters, I think we should set some minimums in our marketing material somewhere. Let people know that they'll have to pay going professional fees if they want our help. They have to stop this thinking that everything is free or cheap.

They want you to make them a ton of money. They just don't want --- or can't afford --- to pay you to do it. You don't need, nor do you want, this sort of person to contact you in the first place.

While I don't think you have to post your fees unless you want to, I do think you should make sure that people understand you're not in the welfare business.

Once a woman told me that she was just a lone woman and didn't have any money but had a great idea. Surely I'd help her for a few bucks. Since I am a woman, I'd understand. Right? Wrong! I work my ass off for what I have and don't expect free or cheap help. The fact she's a lone woman meant nothing to me. Hell, no one but me pays my bills.

Other people come to me saying they're Christians and surely I'd help them for little to nothing because of that. Well, sorry --- but that doesn't matter to me one way or the other. I don't fall for sob stories. I have my own problems.

In other words, I'm a capitalist. I'm in business to make money. I help people create wealth. I fully intend to be paid what I'm worth or I don't work.

I suggest you adopt the same attitude if you want to have a successful copywriting practice. Save your valuable time for those people who are "real" prospective clients and can afford to pay you what you're worth. It's a fact of life that we give more to those who do more for us. Those people willing and able to pay our rightly-deserved fees will get better service and greater results than people who nickel and dime you until you're out of business.
Susanna on 05.15.08 @ 11:31 AM CDT [link]

The Prospective Client You Really Don't Need. Reflection on my thought for the day.

What type of person is your least favorite to deal with? I've worked with the pompous ass, the tight wad and the know-it-all, among others. And in between those boorish folks, I've had quite a large number of very fine people who understand business and who respect what I bring to the table. They realize that it is my work that gives them a large degree of their wealth.

But then, there's my least favorite. Let me explain. This morning I got a request for a quote from a woman who is trying to sell an ebook online. I assume she's a young woman because an older woman would not have been so naive. At least, I doubt it.

Now, selling an ebook online is a hard sell. And it takes keen sales copy to make a person buy yet one more ubiquitous ebook on how to cure some illness or deformity without drugs, surgery or the intervention of a specialist.

But here's the part I hate. She says in her request that the current Web copy needs to be rewritten. But she would prefer it if I will just show her how to do it herself!

Duh. Let's say I need a root canal. I tell my friendly well-trained dentist that yes, I know I need a root canal but I want him to simply tell me how to do it and I'll just swing right out of the parking lot and do that sucker myself!

Yes, my least favorite person to deal with is the one who has no understanding at all of how much work, time and effort it takes to learn to sell in print. In my case, I've been at it some forty years and I still learn something new all the time. I never know it all and any copywriter who says they do is a liar.

The people who insult us in this manner are not really prospective clients. They're time-wasters. When someone like this contacts you, and they will, don't let them take your time. Offer to do a critique for $1,000 or $2,000 and they can take it or reject it. But don't expect to get their business and don't want it. People who think our job is easy are silly twits. Not a one of them could begin to do one time what we do all the time.

And that's my thought for the day.
Susanna on 05.12.08 @ 05:28 PM CDT [link]

How Much Should You Charge? The Answer To the Copywriter's Biggest Problem.