The Client Letter
August 8, 2012
Sedona, Arizona
Partly Cloudy 99 smokin’ degrees
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ATTN Copywriters: I’m looking to make a connection between a client and a copywriter comfortable writing for personal development/new thought material. Think more Eckhart Tolle than The Secret. Reply to this email along with links to samples of your work if you’re interested. I’ll make the connection if it looks like it might be a good fit.
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Each weekday around 9AM PST, I step up to the keyboard and field questions about working with clients. If you haven’t been watching, here’s a taste of what you’re missing:
Justin asks…
“I’m looking into breaking into the wedding industry for photography and I know that my next step is to start contacting wedding & event planners. What would be the best approach to doing this? An email? Physically going to there offices? Bridal shows?”
I reply…
“Justin, I don’t think anything beats the good old mail. Write them a letter. Set yourself apart from the crowd. Don’t sell yourself (everyone else does that), figure out a way to show them how you will improve THEIR life. Be creative. You are solving the problems of the wedding and event planners. What are their problems? What are possible solutions to those problems? How can you position yourself as the solution to those problems?”
Barton asks…
“What is a good follow up question to not appear “needy” to get a client to at least clue you in to whether they want to proceed or not?”
I reply…
“Doing anything, in my opinion, puts you on the wrong foot. Appearing interested rarely (maybe never) works in your favor. If you want to “follow-up” at all (I don’t.) and provided not too much time has gone by, I think being blunt might be the best for you and them. You speak, you maybe do a proposal, you answer questions. Then… “I’m calling to see what decision you’ve made about working together.” (And then don’t say ANYTHING.) That’s if you want to make a move. For me, I would not personally do that. I simply ignore and move on. They have to want me. I don’t walk towards them.”
Jill Anne asks…
“When I meet with a new client the meetings typically go as follows: I ask them where they have been with their marketing, how successful they feel it’s been, and pin point the gaps which I could fill for them. Then I tell them I will get back to them with the service option I feel will best fulfill their needs – I e-mail them what is essentially a contract with pricing and outlines the scope of work. This has been working so far – however is it the best course of action?”
I reply…
“I’m not one to mess with something that’s working. The question is can you make it better? And by better I mean more profitable. We don’t often think of “profit” in the professional service business, especially when we’re working alone. But that’s really what it’s about. Are you increasing the results you’re getting ($$) and decreasing the effort required to create those results over time? Or are you just working hard? That’s the question I’d ask myself if I were in your situation.”
If you have a question about working with clients, come and join the fun.