Two Common Negotiating Mistakes Copywriters Make, And How To Avoid Them
Keywords: copywriting, negotiating, marketing
This month I’ll share two financially ruinous negotiating tactics often made by beginning copywriters. Both recently came from my coaching students.
Financially ruinous negotiating tactic #1 comes from a successful book author who is adding copywriting to his writing skill set. Here, paraphrased, is a comment he made to me:
“My client seems unhappy with the work. I’m thinking of telling her she doesn’t have to pay the final 50 percent.”
My response:
Copywriting is part science and part art. And the subjective aspect of assessing copy often leads writers to feel responsible when a client is not happy.
However, time and expertise is all the copywriter has to sell. A client contracts for that time and uses it and must respect it with the agreed-upon pay.
Is the copywriter always right to demand payment when a client’s satisfaction is unrewarded?
If the copy is indeed poor, then of course the client shouldn’t have to pay anything at all. But in the case of my student, a Creative Brief was used, and in fact, filled out by the client herself.
Thanks to the Creative Brief, the Web site copy was on target, and since I reviewed it as a copy chief, I know that first draft copy was very good.
However, the client’s email noted that the “voice” was not sufficiently hers, that she did not feel that her positioning as a “rural GP” came through strongly enough, that her bio seemed overly altruistic, and that it was clear that she would have to take the copy in house to finish.
When a copywriter gets this kind of feedback, his immediate response is often one of confusion, and sometimes deep insecurity. These emotions cause him to react defensively,instead of studying the response.
Rather than throw in the towel and lose half the copywriting fee, I advised my student to call the client and offer to add what she perceived to be missing from the copy.
Unless the copy is way off mark,and it shouldn’t be if the writer used a Creative Brief,the solution is to make changes and edit until the work is acceptable and meets expectations.
The take-away: DON’T offer refunds or partial payments. DON’T get defensive. Instead, study and analyze a client’s response. Get a clear picture of what the client is complaining about, then fix it.
If the client can’t specifically tell you what’s wrong, then it becomes obvious to both parties that it’s the client who is failing in the communication process. Revisions, refinements, and editing are a natural part of the copywriting process. In this case, the small two-person operation exhibited characteristics typical of small business. They were unsophisticated about marketing and its processes and unclear about the value of copywriting. They confirm my timeworn advice to avoid small businesses and seek work from more marketing-savvy mid-size and large companies.
Financially ruinous negotiating tactic #2 comes from one of my recently “graduated” coaching students.
She asks: “Do you always quote based on your time or do you quote based on the value the project has to the client?”
The answer is to always quote based on the value to the client. If your work makes the client many thousands of dollars, or more, then you should be fairly compensated.
In cases where your work is directly linked to leads or sales, it helps to view yourself not so much as a copywriter but as a sales pro. Get the fact that you’re a writer out of your head and see yourself in a different light.
Who are the most important individuals in any for-profit entity? Those who bring in the business! Everyone else’s salary depends on them. That’s why they’re usually paid more than anyone else. YOU are in that category.
Marketing coach Chris Marlow publishes a free newsletter for freelancers who want to land the high-quality, high-value clients. Sign up at:
www.getgreatclients.com
Previous Articles Highlighter:
Elevation Of Aspen Colorado (1)
Aspen Colorado boasts many great views of cityscapes and scenic mountain meadows from high elevation. Whatever you like, whatever you want, Colorado offers you a plethora of choices to make.
Best Fishing Lures To Use (2)
Unlike heavy standard lures, this gear won't produce good fish-catch output up to 180-200 ft under water but be sure to effectively match your lure color, bait and related accessories to maximize performance.
Back Taxes Owed To IRS Now Collected By Private Debt Collectors (3)
The original New York Times article stated that by 2008, about 350,000 past-due tax records will be distributed among about 10 private debt-collection agencies. This problem is not going away any time soon.
Tips For Archery Fishing (4)
For a faster tuning process, one may shoot a regular bow-fishing arrow (without the tip) onto a target made of cardboard. Marksmanship or targeting. Bow fishing and bow hunting, though similar on some aspects, really do differ on many things.
Generate Traffic And Affiliate Sales With Free Viral Reports (5)
Your last step is to actually ensure that this viral report: a) Gets into as many people's hands as humanly possible; and b) Gets into the hands of people who will definitely redistribute it to others without charging any fees.
Opt-In List - How To Grab Your Readers Attention With Your Subject (6)
Keywords: opt in email marketing, email newsletter, subscribers, submit article, seo, article directory, ppc The race for supremacy in the internet based businesses has been really heating up and many sites have been put up to help others to get ahead for a small fee.
E-Commerce Wholesale Systems- Which One? (7)
For many small-based business, the majority start small and expand heavily if initially past product line was indeed successful. It is like the old traditional culture of starting small and getting big over time.
Why Chainsaw Users Appreciate Echo? (8)
Echo's list of models starts off with the smaller CS-306 and continues all the way up to the powerful CS-8000. It has an impressive list of midfielders among it's range including the CS-341, the CS-360T and CS-370.
Effective Natural Acne Treatments (9)
The liver sluffs off toxins from bad foods, drinks, drugs and chemicals and sends them through your skin resulting in skin eruptions, acne, pimples and other skin disorders. In any case, no matter what skin or acne treatment you choose, whether it is chemical, drugs, alternative, or natural methods, changing your diet will result in your overall good health!
Resurfacing Your Concrete Driveway (10)
Like all DIY jobs, if you have the proper tools for the job then you are going to find things a whole lot easier. Next step, remove any lose pieces in the concrete and use a power hose on any loose debris and dust.
Newer Articles Highlighter:
Writing A Great Resource Box For Your Articles (1)
Use a real name. Now on to the URL. Many sites allow you to have 2-3 links to your site. I personally only use two, because many webmasters don't like how resource boxes look with more links.
Career Management Defined (2)
Most people feel that as long as they already have a job, they don't really need to work on their careers. Again, this not true. Whether or not you are employed currently, you should be prepared for change, in whatever form.
Attractions Of Nairobi (3)
The main airport is Jomo Kenyatta International, 15kms out side the town. Joma Kenyatta airport handles both International and domestic carriers. Wilson airport, is 11 kms outside of the city centre, and is the domestic hub for both scheduled and chartered domestic air traffic.
Wild Kenya Lands (4)
But there are many different ways to experience the Kenyan wilderness. Whether you want to drive by a pride of lions in a four wheel drive, walk through herds of plains game, watch a herd of elephants from the comfortable veranda of a safari lodge, track game on horseback or search for rare birds in a thick rainforest, the possibilities are endless.
Your Best Auto Insurance Quote (5)
Getting the cheapest car insurance can also sometimes seem practicality impossible too, with an entire world of car insurance quote experts out to get your money and all saying they are the cheapest.
How To Create Your MLM Prospecting System (6)
There are no hard rules on how you achieve these steps. However, they must be followed in a sequence. By skipping steps, or starting with the last step first, you will be no better off than when you didn't have any system in place.
Make Truckloads Of Money Selling Other People's Products. (7)
All you need to do is to set up an agreement with an online retailer or merchant, after that, you can immediately start making money selling the products. The most popular method of selling other people's products online is affiliate marketing.
How To Select A Profitable Affiliate Program To Promote (8)
Obviously, money is the main reason why you would join an affiliate program. So it is normal to choose the affiliate program that offers the best commissions and incentives.
So You Want To Become A Super Affiliate? (9)
Satisfied customers can turn into long-term loyal customers. Being an affiliate marketer, it is your duty to give them the satisfaction they require not just for the merchant but for you as well.
Here's Why You're Not Making Any Money Online (10)
It's simple. These entrepreneurs do not have enough effort to have their business skyrocket. They lack the focus and the drive that very successful entrepreneurs have. A lot of newbies spend a lot of time making complex plans, intricate Web sites and a confusing sales process.
Permalink to Two Common Negotiating Mistakes Copywriters Make, And How To Avoid Them