It’s Monday — that means it’s time to open up the mailbox and answer YOUR questions!
Struggling to get clients?
Let me tell you a little secret: When clients believe you offer something that is many times as valuable as what you’re asking for, they’ll practically throw money at you. If they’re not convinced, you won’t be able to squeeze a single project fee out.
That’s the topic of today’s Mailbox Monday issue, covered below…
I’m back “in the office” — the home office, that is — after an incredible and intensive two days. I trained a handful of future financial copywriting superstars in my methods, with the goal of potentially hiring them to do work for my clients.
The content was off-the-charts (I shared testimonial videos on Friday). I even landed on a couple breakthroughs I myself will be using on my upcoming projects. (Sometimes the best way to uplevel your understanding is to teach a topic.)
That’s not the topic today, though. So back to the ol’ mailbox…
Remember, if you’d like YOUR question answered in a future Mailbox Monday, simply click here and submit it.
Today’s question…
—
Roy,
How do I get through to clients that my services are designed to help them, and bring them value?
I am a Commercial Communication Copywriter. I create brochures, sales letters, postcard campaigns, and other types of marketing materials. I also offer Virtual Assistance Services to clients who want to get back some time to better run their business.
I keep getting doors slammed in my face left and right, so I must be doing something wrong.
– BW
—
This could be a tough-love issue…
I feel it coming…
As I read this, I hear a bunch of missing pieces…
Or, misconceptions…
Or, mistakes…
All of which lead to me thinking the only way to respond to this is with some pretty straightforward honesty. And, well, sometimes the truth hurts.
Understand though, that even if I say, “everything you’re doing is wrong,” it’s coming from a place of love and support, and wanting the best for you. And because it’s what I’d hope you’d do for me, if our roles were reversed.
So let’s dive in…
The Jane of all trades is a master of none…
I happen to know — even if the initials don’t give it away — that our friendly correspondent is a woman. Hence the gender-specific pronoun. I could equally state, “The Jack of all trades…” as men and women are both prone to this mistake. Especially as novices, but sometimes well into their careers.
You can’t be everything to everybody.
Once upon a time, I connected with a startup with money to burn on online advertising. They had an AdWords account, and I used to spend tens of thousands per month on AdWords.
They asked me to help run their AdWords. Even though I’d pretty much switched to copywriting, and wasn’t doing AdWords. Even though I was a direct marketer in the wealth/financial/investing and business opportunity markets, while they were not a direct marketer or in those markets.
We hit it off, and I did help them achieve thousands of dollars in savings on bad AdWords spending. But I didn’t crack the code on their acquisition efforts, and the relationship fizzled out.
I tried to be all things to all people. And it didn’t work.
It NEVER works.
Don’t try.
Pick ONE THING to get really good at. Maybe supplement that core thing with a subset of complementary skills. But really, focus on that one thing.
I would NEVER hire someone to be both copywriter and VA. Neither would most smart business people who’d hire either.
Further, most copywriters who write one type of copy, for one type of client, for one type of market aren’t great across the board. Pick one thing, go deep, and become the best at it.
What one thing?
Make sure you’re delivering value…
You think you’re delivering value. But how do you quantify that?
Are the clients actually tracking sales from what you do? How much did they spend? On you? On delivering the message (media costs, printing, ad costs, etc.)? And how much revenue did that generate? What are the profits on the front end? How much are those customers worth?
While there are many forms of value, these measurables are hard to deny, when measured: new leads, new customers, new sales, new profits.
Almost any other “value” is relative, fuzzy, and hard to nail down.
Time saved? Maybe that’s valuable, if they really value their time, and if you really save it (service providers who are headaches can actually make it feel like they’re taking MORE time to manage you — I’ve quit working with people because of this).
Other business results? How much is good will or good feelings about their marketing materials worth? Many copywriters write things to “sound good” to the clients, but that aren’t meant to generate measurable results. If the client likes them, they may have some intangible value, but banks don’t cash checks for intangible value.
This is why in my book, The Copywriter’s Guide to Getting Paid, I’m explicit about writing copy that is close to the sale. Meaning, a blog post or a brochure may be nice, and may actually help advance the buying process, but it’s hard to measure the impact. A sales letter and order form that convert cold traffic into new customers? That’s a value that’s impossible to deny.
Of course, it’s not enough to just be able to do it. You have to convince them of that value…
Paint a vivid picture of their FROM—TO experience…
You should be able to get inside your prospect’s head. Whether that’s your client’s customer, or your prospective client.
Recognize where they’re at right now. What they’re thinking. How they’re feeling.
What do they have (or not have) in their life right now?
What’s their daily experience?
What’s their self-image, and perceived status?
How are they feeling about their life, their business, their marketing and selling?
Now, how would they like to feel? Where would they like to be?
What do they want to have in their life?
What’s their ideal daily experience, that you can help them achieve?
What will their self-image and status be when they are successful?
How will they feel about business once you’ve helped them out?
Get crystal-clear about all of that. For yourself, first. Get clear on where they’re coming FROM, and where you can help them get TO. AND, importantly, how your service is the MECHANISM that will take them on that FROM—TO journey.
Once it’s clear in your head, figure out how you can convey that to them.
… In one sentence.
… In an elevator pitch.
… In a 5-minute conversation.
… In an hour-long conversation or a sales letter.
Put it into those formats. And when you show it to an ideal prospect, the response should NOT be, “Oh, this is well written,” or, “Oh, this looks great.”
The response should be, “How soon are you available?”
Don’t be available…
I’m running out of time to cover this here, but let me give you a little hint.
Nobody who is really good at what they do is immediately available. This one factor is like a flag to clients, that tells them if you’re good or not.
Even if you ARE available today, you shouldn’t be.
Don’t be fast. Don’t be convenient.
That’s McDonald’s.
I just dropped over $100/plate on a wine and food paired dinner, in Nebraska. (That’s kinda hard to do here.)
Dinner at the restaurant we ate at isn’t fast, nor convenient.
We could’ve had our choice of food, but we didn’t — we trusted our sommelier, Charles, to wow us with his expertise.
And for that reason, we paid more. For slower. Less convenient. Less choice. But to be led through dinner by an expert.
Now, this was easy for me to get, because we go back 15+ years. But even so, I had to arrange it ahead of time to ensure it was something that was available on my schedule.
That’s what a good client expects of a high-level service.
That’s what a good client expects of a high-level expert.
I don’t read that in your question — in fact, I read the opposite.
Consider making yourself less available, and focused on one really valuable service (with a clearly-defined value proposition), and you may just find it’s much easier to convince your clients that you’re valuable.
Yours for bigger breakthroughs,
Roy Furr
