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

Why Prospective Copywriting Clients Won't Provide Their Budgets

Almost all copywriters ask for a prospective client's budget on our quote forms or in our initial conversations. This has always been done and when business people really understood the way things worked, it was no trouble getting that vital information.

But today, almost all prospective clients either leave this blank or give the very lowest figures in your list. Why do they use this self-defeating tactic?

People --- all people --- know to the penny what they can or will spend on their copywriting project. They absolutely know. But when you ask them, they'll talk around it or simply say, "I don't really know." In other words, they'll lie or avoid. Very few will be honest. (Tells you a lot about taking them on as a client.)

What they're really saying is that they believe if they give their true budget, you as the copywriter will set your fees to grab every nickle. We know that's stupid and untrue, of course. In most cases, these people don't have enough money to even afford our services so we're not going to accept their projects anyway. We'd like to know that in advance. Right?

By asking for their budget, we're trying to determine, among other things, what they can or cannot afford. If they can't afford our fees, we need to know now. So do they!

If their budget is within our range but low, we may be able to give them a limited service plan and still provide them with value. If they have a really professional-level budget, we can offer them our best value --- the best plan we have.

That's it. It's simple. And that's why we ask for a budget.

But, the prospective clients will either lie about it or wiggle out of giving it. So we have to play the little game and it wastes their time and ours.

People need to grow up and know what makes business work. It would make life easier and more profitable for us all.

Copywriting Secrets You Should Know

Brought to you by Chris Marlow

for the first time and probably never again...

In 48 Golden Minutes Copywriters’ Agent Extraordinaire Kevin Finn Discloses His Closely Held Secrets That Only a Select Few Superstar Copywriters Have Been Privy to Know… Until Now

After years of keeping ever so quiet, Kevin Finn speaks out…and lifts the veil of mystery from the world of super high paying jobs.

He reveals for the first time his Perfect Match System – a highly specialized method that brings together a select group of top copywriters with some of the biggest mailers in the world.

In this rare interview, Kevin generously opens his vault of secrets about how to qualify for top copywriting jobs and how he generates mind-boggling fees and royalties for his clients.

And if this isn’t enough… Kevin has been extremely generous in releasing for your personal use, his formerly proprietary formulas for selecting copywriters, reviewing copy and persuading companies about the benefits of including royalties in the fee package. These documents and their insights can move your career ahead at lightning speed! Confidential - Copywriter Data Sheet – giving you a look at the qualifications Kevin expects of copywriters he selects to represent as clients... Direct Mail Package Review – the checklist Kevin and his heavy hitters use to make sure they smash the control... Business Client Advantages of Royalties Letter — the “secret weapon” letter for convincing new business clients that is it’s in their best interest to pay royalties... Disclaimer - Kevin adds this very important Disclaimer language, to protect you on every job. (And these days the authorities are more often holding copywriters responsible for claims they make! You need this disclaimer copy!)

Getting your hands these priceless documents, each an incredible, stand-alone value on its own, is well worth your very reasonable investment. In fact, think of what you're missing each time you prepare a job without the core business documents used by Kevin's superstar writers!

Click here for more information.

Direct Mail Preferred Over Email - Ignore It At Your Peril

In his column in Target Marketing (5/2010, p. 42), Denny Hatch said that a large percentage of the population — 18 to 34 year olds and 62-plus — prefer direct mail to email.

I find that interesting because so many people seem to think email is the only way to go. They don't even consider direct mail. That's a major mistake. There's simply no better way to hit the target than with a good direct mail offer.

People are quick to delete email. Moreover, spam filters trap even wanted email and the intended recipient never sees the message. Email has been so abused that people simply don't respond well to it anymore.

But direct mail is the big dog of advertising. It will be king for a long time. People enjoy sitting down to an enticing sales letter in their home or office. They will read it when they're in the mood and have the time to linger over the message. Oh, they won't read it if it's not an offer that interest them, of course. But if you've sent it to a good list and had an effective sales message written, one with a dynamic offer, they'll likely be interested. And, they'll likely respond.

It's Time For People To Pay For What They Get.

Online readers of The Times Online will be charged £2 a week to read that publication and The Sunday Times on the web from June, News International announced today.

Both titles will launch new websites in early May, separating their digital presence for the first time and replacing the existing combined site, Times Online.

I'm glad publications are beginning to understand their value and start charging the freebie-seeking public for what they get. Publications give great value to readers. In fact, many sites provide tons of free information they should begin charging for. People have been getting a free ride on the Internet for far too long. I for one am glad to see it end. Moreover, people value what they pay for much more than what they get free.
Susanna on 03.29.10 @ 01:45 AM CDT [link]

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]

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.

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]