When Your Pitch Doesn't Line Up

I was at a networking event last week, and I met a guy there who ran an outsourcing firm with connections in India. We struck up a conversation, and he asked me what I do. I told him I was a copywriter who sometimes partners with web and graphic design firms. And for some reason--I'm not sure how--he got the idea that I was his ideal client.

He immediately launched into his pitch--really more of a speech--describing to me in impassioned terms why I should be outsourcing my writing work to India. "You don't want to be running a small business writing all your life? Right? You want to grow." He proceeded to describe to me how I could outsource my client work immediately, pay the writers a pittance while pocketing the difference, and just perform a "quality check" (he must have used the phrase "quality check" about sixteen times) before sending it back to the client.

Not once did he consider that marketing writing is a specialized skill--you can't outsource it to others who don't have that skill. It's really inadvisable in my experience to write marketing copy without having a direct conversation with the client. And not speaking fluent English is also a pretty big hurdle to leap. While his business model might work for some companies, writing is just not something you can outsource to low-paid workers in India if you want a quality product.

The thing is, he wasn't just wasting my time--he was wasting his own, when he could have been talking to someone who needed what he had to sell. So how do you tell if you're the Indian outsourcing guy trying to pitch to the copywriter? Here are a few things I can think of.

You aren't asking questions. Lots of questions. This guy heard that I "partner" with web design firms sometimes, and he was off and running. He didn't ask deeper questions about the nature of the partnership or the work involved. Before you give someone a pitch, prequalify them--for gawd's sake.

You aren't picking up the subtle hints. Is the person you're talking to looking at you with a glazed expression? Are they looking around the room for someone to rescue them or glancing surreptitiously at the wall clock? Are they not asking any questions themselves? Then they're probably not interested.

Do some research beforehand. Not everybody is your prospect. Think about how different kinds of businesses really work. Talk to people in those businesses to get honest feedback about whether they could use your services. Know who your ideal prospect is before you walk into a networking event.

A pitch should be short, and you shouldn't bring the hard sell into a networking event. You're not there to close deals--you're there to make contacts. This guy wasn't a match for me--but hopefully the next person he talked to was. If he'd been paying attention, he might have been able to get to that person just a little sooner.

Staying in Front of Clients

I read somewhere that it takes about seven impressions for someone to make a decision to hire you. That's seven times you have to show up in front of them, whether it's in person, online or through the mail. Of course, it's easier to get business from people who have worked with you before than with new clients--but even then, if you don't stay in front of people who hired you once or twice, they could forget you exist.

Staying in front of clients doesn't take a huge time commitment. Here are a few things I do.

Start an E-zine. I have an e-zine on my freelance writing website that offers web copywriting and business writing tips. I usually send informational articles rather than offers, and my hope is it will do two things: Showcase my skills and keep me in front of clients. Regularly showing your expertise in this way will help prospective clients get to know your approach and trust your skills--before they hire you.

Send out cards. I'm planning to get more regular about sending cards to prospects and clients. I'd like to have the discipline to send out a card mailing every three months or so--or at least on Christmas. It takes a long time for me to order postcards, print out addresses and send out a postcard campaign, however, and often I forget about it. But lately I've been looking into a company called Send Out Cards, which prints the postcard you choose and mails it for you--all you have to do is set up some campaigns with addresses and send dates. Theoretically, you could set your entire card campaign for the year on autopilot. I haven't signed up yet, but I love the idea.

Send the occasional email. Every so often I send a random email to people I've worked with in the past, just checking in to see how things are doing. Often I get a note back something along the lines of, "was just thinking about getting in touch--I have a new project in the works." It's always great to hear that, and I've landed thousands in extra work just from this simple step.

Send an offer. Every so often I'll also send previous clients an email offer--something like 10% off their first order for the month--to drum up business. It works more often than not, even if it's just a couple of small projects.

What do you do to stay in front of your clients?

Back to Blogging

So I've been missing in action for a bit. There's a good reason: in the past month I've moved to Brooklyn and set up a brand new office--there's a picture of it here. In addition to managing a regular work day and a few side projects, it's been a lot to deal with. But I"m looking forward to being back on a regular (or semi-regular, as my life is shaping up lately) posting schedule again.

A new office is like a new start in your work life. My office space isn't large, but it's enough space for me to organize my desk area, put together some storage units I'll actually use, and develop a system (I've already put together some postcard mailing campaigns I hope to make use of this year). I didn't realize how cluttered my old office space was--and how scattered I felt in it. In this space it's warm, inviting and well organized--which makes a huge difference.

I'll be back here three times a week for the foreseeable future, and I'm looking forward to 2010!

On Being The Freelancer Your Client Calls in an Emergency

I have a very good friend who works for a company that hires freelancers. We often have conversations about what life is like on the other side. I love hearing her insight on what it's like to work as a creative director or marketing manager with freelancers every day--and what they look for.

One thing that came up recently was the idea that a great freelancer is one who is "no hassles"--they can be called up even in an emergency and can turn work around quickly. For many corporate creative leaders, the freelancer they'll work with is the one who can be called up in an emergency, and can fix a problem--no fuss, no muss.

I am all about making my clients' lives easier. But this particular issue made me think. Here's why I think it's tough--for all but a few, probably impossible--to really be that "emergency" freelancer on a consistent basis.

Because next-day turnaround requires client cooperation. As a corporate manager, if you have an internal issue, you can call on whatever employee is expected to take care of it, and that person will do it. Period. You don't have to sign a contract. You don't have to send out a deposit. You don't have to clear it with your boss before you spend the money.

I can't count how many times a client has gotten in touch with an emergency situation--then when I say yes, I can get it done tomorrow provided I have a signed contract faxed and a deposit in my Paypal account, everything goes silent. I've never figured out why this is--but I think it has to do with the fact that the client is too busy to handle the details of actually hiring me. My response to the idea that a good freelancer is one who can be counted on in an emergency-turnaround situation is that I can sometimes do that--but it requires client cooperation.

Because you probably have other work to do. If you're the boss at a company, you're used to everyone doing their work as it's prioritized by you. Freelancers still see you as the boss--but of their particular project with you, not their entire practice. A freelancer may not be able to handle a next-day project because he or she has other projects scheduled for that week--and so might not be able to accommodate a rush project.

Because I'm not a full-time employee. Here's the crux of the problem, I think. Sometimes people who work for companies are used to having full-time employees around. They get to know where the employees are all the time, make sure the employees are dedicating all of their work time to the company, and get fast turnaround on requests. Freelancers can't be available on demand the way employees are. We have multiple projects and clients to juggle--and we have to maintain a schedule that makes sure every project gets the time and attention it requires.

When I can accommodate a client who needs an emergency rush job, I do. But it's not all the time--and lately it's been less and less likely. What do you do when a client confuses you for a full-timer?

Myths And Facts About Marketing

I received a fascinating response to an old post the other day. Go ahead and read it. Then come back.

So I've been meaning to write a response to this for a while, but each response turned into a lengthy diatribe. So I thought I'd better post it here. This is an attitude on marketing that I confess I used to have before it became critical to my business's survival. Once I hit that point, i lost a lot of my hesitancy about it right quick. But more to the point, once I thought through some of these objections to marketing, I realized they didn't hold water.

Myth 1: Marketing requires an advanced degree. The poster says that "Marketing is not a way of life. It is a highly specialized skill set. Colleges teach classes in it and offer degrees in it. To say that the typical small business person should "market" themself is to demand that they undertake a specialized area of activity for which they have no particular qualification."

OK, in some positions and especially for larger companies, you might need a marketing degree. You might need to conduct market surveys and gather data and orchestrate nationwide, multi-media campaigns to numerous target markets. But for many small businesses, that's not what you're doing. You're writing up a brochure to leave with clients. You're creating and mailing some simple postcards with VistaPrint. You're calling or emailing five or ten people a day and telling them about your services. Or maybe you're joining a business networking group you found through Meetup.com. That's it. No special degree required.

As to your chosen marketing methods, you could cold call, send postcards, send emails, set up a regular e-zine, or do all of those--or something else. Just try a bunch of things and see what works, and most importantly, what you'll stick with. You don't have to have an advanced degree to market your skills. Persistence pays off.

Myth 2: Marketing is universally annoying. The poster stated that "I have always found marketing and the marketing mindset offensive. Why, then, should I try to market to others?" The thing is, while most people just put up with ads, sometimes you see ads for something you actually want, and at a good price--and then you're probably glad you saw that ad.

Marketing isn't universally annoying--especially to people who want and need what you offer. A successful "marketing mindset" starts with the idea that someone out there wants what you're selling--and if you don't believe that yourself, maybe you should find a different line of work.

"Tooting your own horn" is somehow bad. The most interesting thing the poster said, in my opinion, is this:

"Marketing basically involves creating the illusion for the potential customer that you are better than the other people in your line of work. Unless you're somebody fairly exceptional, you're probably NOT appreciably better at your profession than the competition. If you really ARE the highly talented cream of the crop, you will stand out and gain a reputaion by that fact alone. There's no need to involve yourself in a 'snow job' that is degrading of your own self-respect and demonstrates contempt for the discernment of your potential customers. "

The idea that marketing involves creating the illusion that you're better than others in your field is NOT necessarily true. Your marketing need not contain any mention at all of others in your field. Instead of making negative statements about how you're better than them, you can make positive statements about why you're the right fit for their company. Maybe you have a background in the industry. it doesn't have to be implicitly insulting to someone else--and it shouldn't be.

Just because you're willing to stand up, wave your arms and shout "Over here!" doesn't mean you're also shouting "Everyone else stinks!" When I market, I'm not doing it with the mindset that I'm better than other copywriters. I'm doing it with the idea that I might be a good choice because I'm a better fit for that company. Or maybe I'm the only one who stuck my neck out to get noticed. You don't have to be "fairly exceptional" to have the right to market your services.

If you're the best, the business will come to you. Boy, do I wish this were true. There's nothing I love more than a meritocracy. But the real world doesn't work like that, as countless famous, highly gifted artists who died in poverty will tell you. Half the financial success of an artist lies in marketing. Nobody will buy your novel if they can't find it in stores, even if it's the best work of your generation. And nobody will hire you as a copywriter if you don't tell them you exist.

Marketing is not an implicitly insulting or shameful practice--or an arcane discipline that only a chosen few can understand. It's persistence, plain and simple. It's showing up. It's putting yourself in front of clients on a consistent basis, doing a great job, and building a relationship over time. It's also how small businesses--and large businesses--survive and thrive.

The Slow-Ball Client...And What You Can Do

Recently I've been thinking a lot about clients who take their time on revisions--slowing you down when it comes to invoicing for your remaining payment. I find this very frustrating, and lately it's led to a few cash flow problems--not to mention scheduling issues when clients come back for revisions long after I thought the project would be over and done with.

Here are a few solutions I've been contemplating. Some of them are a little out there--but all are pretty tempting.

Charging twice what I need. I determine my prices based on what I need to make to keep my business afloat and pay bills. When I have to wait a long time to get half that from each project, it can cause cash flow problems. Lately my rebellious side has been considering quoting twice what I need on every project, so that I know I can meet my own needs with just the 50% deposit. This way I can sit back, relax and wait for the rest to come in when the project is finished--no more worrying about bills when the end of the month rolls around and the client hasn't gotten back about revisions. It's a bold move, but wouldn't it be great?

Putting it in the contract. This one's a bit more realistic. I've started adding a clause that states something like "remainder will be invoiced upon completion of project OR two weeks from delivery of first draft--whichever comes first." That way I'm not hanging around waiting for a client to get back to me with feedback before sending the invoice.

Charging 100% up front. Some writers refuse to do this, but I kind of think it's reasonable--especially for smaller projects.

What do you do to keep projects rolling?

My Writerly Limits

Lori Widmer over at Words on the Page had an interesting post a while back on "writerly limits." Her post was about advertising on your blog, and what you will and won't accept--but this post got me thinking about other limits.

I tend to be pretty flexible. It's why I'm my own boss--I love the freedom. But there are a few limits I have--both in business and in the practice of writing. Here they are:

I won't work without a contract--and a deposit. I've had clients before who were in a huge hurry--such a hurry they didn't have time to wait for the contract to be signed, the check to be sent, and so on. That doesn't work for me. Unless the proper framework is set for a business relationship, I don't work. It's too easy to get burned.

I don't work without knowing everything I need to know. It's crucial to have all the info necessary to sell the product. That usually means, for me, a client interview to go over the audience, their needs, and how the product or service meets those needs. I've had clients want to breeze through this part or fill out a questionnaire online instead--which is fine, as long as I can get all the info I need. I tell clients that the more work we do together up front, the less work there will be in revisions later on.

I don't take on too much at a time. It's tough to turn down work. But it's crucial for me to accept my own limitations. I need time to work on personal projects, marketing, and nothing at all.

I don't make myself available all the time. I've found if I'm available by phone all the time, I might as well have a full-time job--because I have to stay home in case the phone rings. I don't like working that way. I like running errands during the day or meeting a friend for a long lunch, then catching up on work at night. I like working in cafe's and even in parks. I don't like being accountable for all my time or staying in one place--it's why I left the corporate world. These days, I schedule my phone calls strictly, keep the necessary phone calls to clients at one if at all possible, and keep other communications to email.

What are your limits?