As a copywriter, you don’t always get to see how well your promo or package does.
If you do get to see results, it may be in general terms.
If it beats the current control, you’ll hear about it, and…if it bombs (heaven forbid) you may hear about that too.
Then again, you may just never get any work from that client or his friends ever again.
If you want a real education about launching a promotion, start your own business and write all of the copy associated with that start-up. If you plan to sell online, you can get almost instant feedback as to how well your copy sells.
I am involved with a start-up online company. I accepted a partnership in lieu of my standard copywriting fee.
Now, that sounds like a great deal (and as we get further along, it will be) but initially all of the revenue goes to build the business.
The scary part is when you start to advertise. Will the ads draw? Will the copy sell once they get to the site? Have we priced it properly for maximum profit?
It doesn’t take long for you to find out.
When we launched, I asked for feedback from a few friends.
Most of them said my copy was too long…nobody would read it.
Others said the website was too amateurish, people wouldn’t buy from a site like that.
Well, we’ve proven them wrong.
The site and the copy sells product. Could it be better? Sure! And as we make more money, we’ll upgrade.
In the meantime, we’re looking at economical ways to get our message out and drive people to our site.
I’ll continue to “tweak” the copy as we go.
If you want to see what the site and the copy looks like, go to www.integritea.com.
Tell me what you think. I’m a big boy...I can take it.
Showing posts with label sales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sales. Show all posts
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Monday, May 7, 2007
Reselling Your Services
I have an ongoing contract to write monthly newsletter articles for a client. As per an earlier conversation regarding the theme of the month, I wrote a series of articles for the next edition. Then, I ran into the person who is my contact in this organization. I mentioned that I had the articles written in time for her deadline. She said that she had written some articles herself and probably wouldn’t need my material.
My initial reaction was going to be to remind her that we had a contract and I would have to bill her for my time. Instead, I decided to take a less confrontational approach. (Always a good idea with a regular and pleasant-to-work-with client.)
Since she had not given me specific instructions to write these articles, I told her that I wouldn’t bill her for them unless she used them. I told her I would email them to her and let her look at them. If she chose to use them I would bill them, if not, I would wait for her direction for the next edition.
I emailed the articles and waited. When the newsletter came out, my articles were in it. It was followed by an email requesting some additional work on another matter. Since then, I’ve gotten a lot of work from another department in this same organization.
Occasionally, you’ll have a client that forgets the value that a professional writer brings to the table. At that point you can resell your abilities, or force them to honor the contract. If you’re good enough, your abilities SHOULD win the day. I’m glad I took this approach. If it hadn’t worked out, at least I wouldn’t have burned any bridges.
My initial reaction was going to be to remind her that we had a contract and I would have to bill her for my time. Instead, I decided to take a less confrontational approach. (Always a good idea with a regular and pleasant-to-work-with client.)
Since she had not given me specific instructions to write these articles, I told her that I wouldn’t bill her for them unless she used them. I told her I would email them to her and let her look at them. If she chose to use them I would bill them, if not, I would wait for her direction for the next edition.
I emailed the articles and waited. When the newsletter came out, my articles were in it. It was followed by an email requesting some additional work on another matter. Since then, I’ve gotten a lot of work from another department in this same organization.
Occasionally, you’ll have a client that forgets the value that a professional writer brings to the table. At that point you can resell your abilities, or force them to honor the contract. If you’re good enough, your abilities SHOULD win the day. I’m glad I took this approach. If it hadn’t worked out, at least I wouldn’t have burned any bridges.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Everyone’s A Writer
The first thing you learn in the copywriting business is that everyone’s a writer. And… they all think they’re good. Some of them are…but most are not. Some…should never be allowed to hold a pen in their “hot little hands.”
You’ll meet some who like to “bloviate” in print, thinking that everyone will be impressed with their command of the English language. (They won’t.) There will be others who treat English like it’s not their native tongue.
Oft times when you write for a large organization your copy passes through many hands. Each of those hands is just twitching to “tweak” your copy, so they can impress someone up the line. The version that lands on the desk of the final decision maker will be entirely different from what you wrote. You might not even recognize it. (This happened to me. If it hadn’t been for the title, I would not have known I wrote it.)
The easiest way to avoid this is to involve all decision makers right from the beginning of the project. Explain what you’re going to write and why. Let them know that this is writing in a “conversational tone” and is designed to be read, not to be grammatically correct.
Once they know where you are going, it’s easier for them to understand what you are trying to do.
Keep all parties in the loop. Email copies to everyone, even when you make changes. When they want changes that go against all the rules of sales copy…make them. Make them cheerfully, but explain (in a nice way) why you’re against it.
If the copy gets results even with their changes…be humble. Thank them for showing you a new way of doing things. If it bombs, be considerate and helpful. Resist the urge to say, “I told you so.”
Finally…let it go and be happy, knowing you’ve done your very best.
You’ll meet some who like to “bloviate” in print, thinking that everyone will be impressed with their command of the English language. (They won’t.) There will be others who treat English like it’s not their native tongue.
Oft times when you write for a large organization your copy passes through many hands. Each of those hands is just twitching to “tweak” your copy, so they can impress someone up the line. The version that lands on the desk of the final decision maker will be entirely different from what you wrote. You might not even recognize it. (This happened to me. If it hadn’t been for the title, I would not have known I wrote it.)
The easiest way to avoid this is to involve all decision makers right from the beginning of the project. Explain what you’re going to write and why. Let them know that this is writing in a “conversational tone” and is designed to be read, not to be grammatically correct.
Once they know where you are going, it’s easier for them to understand what you are trying to do.
Keep all parties in the loop. Email copies to everyone, even when you make changes. When they want changes that go against all the rules of sales copy…make them. Make them cheerfully, but explain (in a nice way) why you’re against it.
If the copy gets results even with their changes…be humble. Thank them for showing you a new way of doing things. If it bombs, be considerate and helpful. Resist the urge to say, “I told you so.”
Finally…let it go and be happy, knowing you’ve done your very best.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
