I’m opening up the mailbox and answering YOUR questions!
If you don’t have an offer they’ll buy, you won’t make the sale…
I’ve written over and over again about how to get started as a copywriter. And yet I still get the same question asked, over and over again.
How do I get started as a copywriter?
How do I get started as a financial copywriter?
How do I get started as an email copywriter?
… And so on, and so on.
I’m usually very happy to answer it. But because I answered it so recently, and the advice is so similar between industries, I decided to take a brand-new approach to the answer.
Instead of telling you that you should find the companies you want to work for, make a list, and get and stay on their radar, I’m going to talk about your offer.
But now I’m getting ahead of myself.
It’s Monday, which means I’m answering questions from my mailbox. To have your question answered in an upcoming issue of Mailbox Monday, click here.
Here’s today’s question…
—
Roy,
Can you share your best advice on how to start freelance email marketing?
Thank you,
H.
—
First and foremost, make sure you’re selling what clients are buying…
Too many copywriters — especially new copywriters — believe that they are selling writing.
Clients don’t want or need writing.
They are not lying awake at 2 AM thinking that they need a writer.
They want the result that good copywriting can get them. They may be lying awake in the middle of the night wondering how they can get more leads, customers, sales, and profits.
But they don’t want or need writing.
Nevertheless, copywriters hear that you can make a good living as a writer. They hear you can retire this year and still make as much money as a doctor by writing simple letters. They hear that there is tremendous demand for writing services.
Which is not exactly true or false.
Again, it’s all about the results the writing can achieve.
And yet…
Too many copywriters show up with an offer of “will write for food”…
That is, “Give me your writing projects and a paycheck. I will do them and be happy.”
The copywriter does not show up offering results. They show up offering writing.
Now, that clients niece is in Composition 101 in college. She can write. She even gets good grades. And, her alternative job is stuffing sandwiches at Subway.
That client’s niece would be happy to work for 20 bucks an hour. And crank out a few emails in that time.
Usual pointing $250 per email, and that’s what your prospective client is comparing you to. At least when you show up saying that you want to get paid to write.
So it’s hard to get clients, it’s hard to get respect, and it’s hard to get paid what you are potentially worth writing emails that drive sales.
Your client doesn’t know any of this ahead of time. And so they choose the cheaper, easier, family option.
Alternative: make an offer to give them what they want…
Your prospective clients want sales.
You can write emails that drive prospective customers to sales pages, ready to buy.
Promise that.
Make that your offer.
Show up ready to write a seven day email campaign meant to introduce an offer, stimulate interest and desire, and spur action with a deadline.
Of course, it doesn’t have to be seven days. It could be three. It could be a 10 day autoresponder campaign. That’s not the point.
The point is that you show up knowing that your prospect uses email to get more leads, customers, sales, and profits.
You know what it takes to do that using email as a communication medium. It takes a campaign, carefully orchestrated to get attention, build interest, stimulate desire, and demand action.
You have thought about this, you have built an offer around this, and you are ready to do this for clients you approach.
When you show up and offer this, instead of writing, instead of creating emails, they can’t compare you to their niece in Composition 101.
And your advantage will only grow as you get a few case studies under your belt.
Now, turn it up…
Before you are actually making this offer, you should have come up with a list of the clients that you want to have.
This list should be based on knowing that they are in the industries you want to work in, and do the kind of marketing you want to do.
Now spend some time really thinking about them, their situation, and why they would want to hire someone like you.
Figure out what kind of hell was created in their life because they don’t have someone like you. Figure out what kind of heaven they could experience by taking you up on your offer.
Consider everything I have already laid out above.
Painting the picture with your words. Show them that you understand the problem or challenge they are struggling with. Agitate that experience until it feels like their familiar hell. Point to all the solutions that people like them have tried and explain why they have been invalid. Present the criteria for a perfect solution. And tie that criteria back to your offer. Then ask them to get on the phone with you.
Schedule a call, make an offer, close the deal…
It really is as simple as this.
Clients that are at least somewhat interested should be willing to schedule a call, to speak with you.
On this call, make it about them. Discuss the challenges and problems they’re facing. Try to get them to explain them in their own words. Ask them to tell you how they feel about it, not just what’s going on.
Once they are really feeling the problem, pivot to talking about solutions. Don’t force yours on them. Instead ask them what the ideal solution would accomplish. See if you line up.
If you line up, there is a space to make an offer of your services. Make it is easy to say yes as possible. Package the services, into a bit of a trial offer, such as a single campaign.
Make it clear what they’re getting, and what their commitment is. Show them how the specific services you will do, and the work product you will create, will get them the results they are looking for.
Then ask them to commit. Tell them the conditions of working with you, and how to get started. And asked them for a payment to get started.
Don’t make it harder than it has to be. Just try this, and tried again. Take action. Talk to clients. Make offers.
Most often the part that wannabes miss about getting started is the actual getting started.
There will be plenty of opportunity to course correct along the way. But you have to get going. You have to do it.
If you need more help, I recommend my Core Offer training. Or, for a few bucks more, get my entire Freelance Copywriter’s Independence Package, including that plus training on getting royalties and selling yourself in networking situations.
Yours for bigger breakthroughs,
Roy Furr
