On Copywriting

Meet Copywriter Ronnie Brown

Today, I want to introduce you to Ronnie Brown. He recently became a copywriter and got his first client in less than 30 days. Here's the brief interview I had with him...

1. So Ronnie, tell me a little bit about yourself. Where you're from, your work background, etc.

I live in Indianapolis, Indiana, and have worked as a steelworker the past seven years. This type of work is drudgery at its worst! I knew years ago that the typical "9-5" day job lifestyle wasn't for me. Only recently did I decide to take up freelance copywriting on a regular basis.

Over the past year I've done random jobs for different people, but nothing consistent. I am also a personal coach and adviser for entrepreneurs and anyone seeking personal growth or success education.

2. What made you purchase "How to Get Your First Copywriting Client in 14 Days or Less?"

Well, to be honest, I was doing some research on ClickBank.com, reviewing different products in the health and fitness categories (because that's the market I write sales copy for) when the idea randomly popped into my head to search for "copywriting" in the business category.

Lo and behold, I found a treasure hiding in a rather familiar place. I'm a fanatic for advertising and I just knew copywriting was for me. The problem isn't writing copy, but finding clients ASAP! For anyone who is just starting out in copywriting, this report is a must.

3. Was it worth it? Why or why not?

Absolutely. Within the first few pages alone I was able to gain clarity on creating sales copy for my own services that will be posted on my website in the very near future. Not only that, but it threw some ideas out onto the table that I hadn't previously considered regarding ways to find new clients.

As far as I know, there aren't many people out there who are telling other copywriters how to get clients, only on how to write copy. Copywriters have a bit of a rough job. We can sell other people's products and services, but it can often be difficult to sell our own!

To be completely honest, just as long as they follow your advice and apply what they learn from "How to Get Your First Copywriting Client in 14 Days or Less," anyone who buys it can and will find clients.

4. What has been the most exciting or rewarding thing about getting your first client?

Aside from getting paid? Knowing that there is indeed a paying market out there for serious copywriters. Not just a paying market, but a high-paying market at that.

Before I read your report, I read another book I bought off Amazon.com and it made copywriting sound like the biggest pain in the "you-know-what" you've ever heard of. It made it sound like getting clients--especially clients who will pay high fees--are non-existent. But, fortunately, your book and advice prove this notion completely wrong.

5. What has been the most difficult challenge you've faced so far? What have you done to overcome it?

Getting my own copy written for my website promoting my services!

Writing sales copy to sell my own service can be trying, and I have the tendency to be perfectionist at it. But I've learned that this kind of perfectionism can only hinder my progress if I let it take control of time.

Perfectionism tells us, "This still isn't good enough. Do it again." But perfection just may be a delusion that is causing us to procrastinate, either knowingly or unknowingly, and put off the promotion of our services.

Just write your copy, review and revise it, have someone else review and revise and be done with it. That's something I had to learn the hard way. Copy doesn't need to be perfect. It needs to consist of the right elements and message. Perfection is no longer my goal. Progress is.

6. Thanks, Ronnie, for taking time to share a little bit about your experiences. Where can my readers go to learn more about you and your copywriting services?

Thank you, Ryan. As I mentioned, my copywriting service website isn't up and running just yet. But it will be soon. In the mean time, people can find out more about me and my coaching and success education services by checking out my blog, Seeds of Greatness.

If anyone wants to stay posted on my copywriting services and website, I'll be keeping my progress updated on this same blog as well. For questions or inquiries regarding my copywriting services, I can be contacted at ronniebrown_direct@yahoo.com.

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If you're interested in the resource Ronnie mentions in this interview, you can learn how to get copywriting clients here.

Did I Say the "G" Word?

One week ago, I got a refund request for my special report about how to get copywriting clients. The reason? I said the "G" word. Yes, I mentioned God.

Interesting that talking about God and His plans for your life would cause a person to request a refund. But such is business. Reactions run the gamut.

One overseas customer named Anthony Pena sent me an email the same week. He writes...

just for your information, i live in the philippines. it's 2:40 in the morning here, and last night, i couldn't sleep after reading your report.

This same fellow sent me an action plan and is keeping me updated on his progress. I commend him for acting on what he's learned.

And yesterday, I received an unsolicited testimonial from Ronnie Brown in Indianapolis. He writes...

Thanks for your help! The information you gave in your report, "How to Get Your First Copywriting Client in 14 Days or Less!" is priceless for ANY copywriter looking to get quick, profitable copywriting jobs. I managed to get my first client based on just one of your strategies and it has resulted in $2,000.00 profit!

Ronnie also sent me an action plan, and he's working it.

If you too would like to learn how you can get copywriting clients, go here. But please don't buy if the "G" word offends you. ;-)

New Copywriter Gets His First Client

Today, I want to introduce you to Keith Goodrum. He recently became a copywriter and got his first client in less than 30 days. Here's the brief interview I had with him...

1. So Keith, tell me a little bit about yourself. Where you're from, your work background, etc.

Ok, Ryan. I'm currently living in Pearl River, NY. Originally I'm from the Cleveland/Akron, Ohio area.

My first job after serving in the Army was retail sales. The pay was hourly plus a small commission. They were not kidding about the small commission.

One day I met a guy making serious money selling cars. I thought if he could sell cars... I could. I found a dealership and got hired. Then for the next few months I struggled to make minimum wage.

It was not easy to sell cars. My sales manager took me aside and said I needed to learn how to sell. He gave me Tom Hopkins book How to Master the Art of Sales. I devoured that book. Applying what I learned doubled my sales the first month. I remained one of the top sales leaders thereafter. The car business honed my selling chops.

About four years later the dealership I was working at was sold. The new owners closed the doors for six months to remodel. I decided to leave the car business, and bounced around for the next couple years.

Then eight years ago, without planning or doing research, I started a window cleaning business. I had no clue how to get customers, and almost went belly-up. One day I was in Kinko's and saw two books by Dan Kennedy, The Ultimate Marketing Plan and The Ultimate Sales Letter. I bought both and ran home to put them to use.

The Ultimate Sales Letter talks about copywriting as salesmanship in print, and that was an easy concept for me to grasp. Coming from a sales background I saw how much more effective it was to send my sales message to thousands at once... rather than delivering my sales message personally one at a time.

I started to focus more and more on copywriting. Got my hands on every copywriting and marketing book, course, and audio I could afford to buy. I even wrote out by hand 100 sales letters by copywriters like Dan Kennedy, Gary Halbert, John Carlton, and Brian Keith Voiles.

As my copywriting improved, business exploded. In fact, business got too good and I nearly wrecked it because I could not handle the increase. But I made adjustments, and continued running a thriving business.

One day I wrote a sales letter that produced $43.11 in sales for every dollar spent sending it out. The thought occurred to me that I could write sales letters for other people. And that's what led me to where I am today.

2. What made you purchase "How to Get Your First Copywriting Client in 14 Days or Less?"

I've been reading your blog for the past two years. During that time you wrote insightful marketing and copywriting posts, which built a huge amount of credibility with me. When you sent out the email announcing your new ebook... it was a no-brainer. I bought it right away.

3. Was it worth it? Why or why not?

Well... I got my first client. So, I'd say YES! Buying information products is an investment. If I get one profitable strategy out of a product, then I've got my money's worth. Now, if I can use the strategies to repeat the results... then my ROI skyrockets.

4. What has been the most exciting or rewarding thing about getting your first client?

My first client is Michael Ambrosio - Mr. OverDeliver. I'm writing the sales letter for his new product "Easy Product Profits." It will show you how to create your own products from A to Z. It's a great product, which makes the sales letter fun to write. And one of the bonuses being offered is gutsy. I have no doubt this one bonus will create a serious buzz.

I don't want to say too much about the bonus... watch for the product launch around the 12th of November. To answer your question... I'd say the most exciting thing is getting involved in a product launch and watching how it's done from behind the scenes. The most rewarding is finally getting off the fence and getting clients.

5. Thanks, Keith, for taking time to share a little bit about your experiences. Where can my readers go to learn more about you and your copywriting services?

Thanks for the opportunity Ryan. I can be reached several ways.

Website: http://www.PowerResponseCopy.com
Email: keithag [at] gmail [dot] com
Phone: 845-480-1781

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One last thing. When Keith purchased "How to Get Your First Copywriting Client in 14 Days or Less," he was the only one who sent me a 10-point Action Plan like I described in the report. He was also the only one to send me detailed follow-up regarding his progress on each item.

Did he complete everything on his list in 30 days? No. But he took action, and it worked.

If Keith's story inspires you, please leave a comment and congratulate him for his accomplishment.

Why Freelance Copywriters Go Hungry

This past week I wrote an article for publication on Michel Fortin's blog. He just published it this morning. I think you'll find it worth reading. Here's the link...

==> Why Freelance Copywriters Go Hungry

P.S. Don't forget to leave a comment!

How to Get Your First Copywriting Client

The time has finally come. Today marks the release of "How to Get Your First Copywriting Client in 14 Days or Less."

As I mentioned yesterday, the first 20 U.S. and Canadian orders will receive a surprise bonus gift worth $20.00. It will be sent by postal mail.

Furthermore, if you get your copy within the first 24 hours (by 10 a.m. Mountain Time on Wednesday, August 8), you will save $20.00.

Instead of paying $49.00, which will ultimately be the price of this report, you will get it for only $29.00. That's almost half off.

Click Here to Claim Your Bonus Gift

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Why Am I Doing This?
=============================================

I am giving you this report at a discount for two reasons:

1. I want to reward you for reading my emails and my blog, and for responding quickly.

2. I'm looking for testimonials. Naturally, those who act fast are likely to read and implement fast. My hope is that you will then provide a testimonial for me to use in my marketing.

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What You Will Learn
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The report is 49 pages long--a total of 15,006 words. It includes my personal system for getting clients, as well as in-depth answers to 28 different reader questions.

You will learn:

• How to get your first copywriting client in 14 days or less.

• Quick and easy ways to get clients.

• What to say to clients once you get them on the phone. How to close them without saying a word.

• How to attract clients who are willing to pay big fees to copywriters.

• What to charge. How to quote fees without worry or stress.

• How and when to get paid. (Should you take PayPal, check, or CC?)

• A big mistake rookie copywriters make and how to avoid it.

• Secrets to positioning yourself to attract clients who recognize the value of copywriting.

• Why educating clients is a losing game.

• How to get testimonials... even if you've never had a client in your life.

• Why you don't need samples--and why you should never work without getting paid.

• Two "secret" web sites for finding copywriting clients.

• And much, much more.

I did my utmost to include every last shred of advice you would need to land your first client.

I also made sure to answer all of your questions as directly and thoroughly as possible.

Click Here to Get Your First Client

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There Is No Sales Page
=============================================

I did not have time to write a letter selling this report. It was hard enough to write 49 pages in 9 days, not counting all the other copy I had to write.

So this post is all you'll get for now. The link below will take you straight to the checkout page, which is hosted by Goldbar. This is the shopping cart service I use.

When you order, you will be able to download the report immediately. Note: You will see a charge by Gambit LLC on your CC statement. That is the name of my company.

There is an 8-week satisfaction promise. If you are not happy, you can get your money back within 8 weeks of your purchase date.

Remember, the first 20 U.S. and Canadian orders will get a surprise bonus gift mailed to them. What's more, you will save $20.00 by ordering now instead of later.

Click Here to Order Now

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to hearing about your success story.

My Best,

Ryan

P.S. Do you have copywriter friends who are struggling to get clients? Please forward this post to let them know about this initial launch special. Thanks.

P.P.S. It is the middle of August 2007 as I write this second postscript. The sales page is now available. You can view it at http://www.GetClientsReport.com. Obviously, since the 24-hour special has ended, the price is now $49.95. Orders are accepted through Clickbank. Click here to learn how to get your first copywriting client.

Gun-Shy Prospects

Last week I spoke with a prospect. He had been referred to me by a client.

This prospect had paid an undisclosed sum of money to work with one of the "big names" in the copywriting industry. He tested the letter, and it didn't work. So he went back to his copywriter. The copywriter rewrote the copy, and the prospect tested it again. Still, no luck.

At this point, he went back to his copywriter a second time. The copywriter basically said tough. The problem must be with your offer, traffic, etc. The copywriter was implying there was nothing wrong with the copy.

Keep in mind, I'm relating this second-hand. So some of the details may not be 100% correct.

As you can imagine, the prospect I spoke with was gun shy of hiring another copywriter. He felt burned from the prior experience. So he was hesitant to work on a fee basis. He was more interested in a commission or royalty type of relationship. I don't blame him.

I relate this experience because it's not the first time it's happened. I've spoken with other prospects in the same position as this fellow.

If you find yourself in such a situation, my advice is to be cautious. In a sense, you are dealing with somebody who is on the "rebound" of a bad copywriting relationship. You don't necessarily want to be the copywriter who is hired on the rebound. You may end up taking some heat or running into difficulties because of what the prior copywriter did or didn't do.

Also, if I may be so bold to say this: Please go the distance with your clients. Do whatever you can to "wow" them. This gives copywriters a better name and prevents clients from being gun shy. After all, no client wants to work with a "hit and run" copywriter.

Are You Pricing Like a Part-Timer?

It's easy to be a part-timer. It's also easy to recognize them.

These are the folks who decide to keep their day jobs and do a few copy projects on the side.

It happens all the time, and not only in the field of copywriting. You'll see the same thing with programmers, graphic designers, etc. It's so common, perhaps we should call them...

Part-Time Professionals!
(Tongue in Cheek, Of Course.)

Although it would seem there's nothing inherently wrong with working part-time, there is at least one unpleasant side effect, mainly in the area of pricing. It's caused by the "safety net"--the job the part-timer holds on to for so-called security.

Here's how it works:

The part-timer thinks, "Well, I have a full-time job that pays me well. And it'd be really nice to have an extra two-hundred bucks this month so I can eat out a few more times and pay a little extra on my credit cards... so I'll bid this job for $200."

Do you see the problem? The part-timer is quoting a price based on his desire for discretionary income instead of what the job is actually worth!

The part-timer can "afford" to quote low because he's already making a full-time income from his day job. You, on the other hand, know what you have to make to survive--and what the job is actually worth--so you quote higher.

Of course, if you know what you're doing (i.e., you're positioned well in the market), you should be able to command higher fees and never lack for clients.

Still, getting low-balled can be irritating. So, what do you do about it?

• Recognize the problem and position yourself accordingly. Offer a compelling and believable reason why you charge more than all the other copywriters out there.

• Provide proof of results. In most cases, ample proof of results will be far more persuasive than a low quote.

• Educate other service providers like I'm doing here. Explain why it doesn't make sense to write copy for less than minimum wage.

Ideas for Pricing Jobs
When You're Starting Out

If you are a service provider who is just getting started, it can be hard to know how you should quote a job. Here are a few ideas:

1. Price by the hour. Calculate what you're currently making in your full-time job, or what you used to make if you've gone full-time. Then provide a quote that at least mirrors your current income.

For instance, if you're currently making $20 an hour, you would not quote a job at $10 an hour. That's stupid. You would quote at least $20 an hour.

If you're providing a quote based on the amount of time you expect to invest, then you might consider multiplying whatever number you come up with by 2x. Why that number?

For one, most projects go longer than expected. And two, providing time-based quotes usually assumes you'll be paid the same rate for 40 hours a week.

But if you've been in business for more than a month, then you already know that not every hour in a work day is an income-producing hour. You must calculate fees with the idea that there are only 2-4 hours a day when you'll actually be writing.

2. Price by the page. This can be effective with direct mail pieces where you're working with a certain number of pages. You might charge $200 a page, $400 a page, or even $800 a page.

In my opinion, writing for $100 a page is a bit low. I'd suggest you not go below this level. Starting at $150 or $200 a page would be better.

3. Price by the project. This is my favorite way to quote new copy jobs. I only write a few different types of copy. The long-form sales letter is the centerpiece of most of my projects. Since I limit what I write, it's easy to price by the project.

You'll have to come up with your own fees here, but you can always cross-check your number by comparing what the fee would be if you were to quote by the hour or by the page. If your per project fee is lower, then you've done something wrong. Go back and rework the quote.

No matter how you decide to price projects, you must always remember not to under-price yourself. Never quote a project for less than you would ordinarily be paid in a full-time salaried job.

Remember this: It's better to err on the side of quoting too high rather than quoting too low.

For part-timers: You cannot under-price copy jobs and then make up for it in volume. It doesn't work when selling products, and it doesn't work when selling your time either. Quote high, burn your ships, and go full-time.

For full-timers: Marketing skills can overcome almost any business problem, including the ability to attract clients in a sea of slave labor. Become a marketing expert.

For clients: If you hire a copywriter for a "steal of a deal," set your expectations low. Real low. This way you'll avoid disappointment, and still be pleasantly surprised if it works out in your favor.

What Do You Want in a Copywriter?

For Those Who HIRE Copywriters:

If you are in the process of hiring a copywriter... or if you think you might hire a copywriter in the future... then I'd like you to answer this question:

What do you want in a copywriter?

How you answer could be about the qualities a copywriter has... services the copywriter offers... or even the process the copywriter uses to write copy or run his business.

To reply, simply leave a comment below or send a Trackback.

For Those Who ARE Copywriters:

If you're reading this, I realize you might be a copywriter yourself. If that's the case, then perhaps you can answer a slightly different question:

What have you found that clients appreciate about doing business with you?

Please note... your responses are public! So you might not want to reveal your "secret recipe," if you know what I mean. ;-)

Keep the Paper Moving

I began working at Merrill Lynch when I was 19.

I was placed by a temp agency, and my first job there was to review all the incoming forms for accuracy: distribution forms, rollover forms, investment allocation forms, etc.

Not only did I have to check for accuracy, I had to verify the plan administrator's signature. I did this by looking it up in one of two thick binders that were packed with thousands of signatures.

Before long, I began to memorize signatures, and became fast at checking and approving the forms.

My first mentor at Merrill Lynch was Tim. He was a tall, lanky guy with an odd but likable personality.

In the beginning, I remember holding on to all kinds of "problem forms" that I couldn't easily address. I would ask Tim what to do with them. He patiently answered most of my questions.

Then, one day during my second week of training, he got frustrated. He said, "Ryan, just remember one thing:

"Keep the paper moving!"

He explained it's better to simply push the paper on through than to hold things up for a day or two trying to get answers.

I never forgot that advice. I've tried to live by it in every job I've ever had... even as a freelance copywriter. It has served me well.

You see, clients prefer more communication... and more frequent communication... than less communication. So better to "keep the paper moving" whenever you hit a speed bump during a copy project.

Put another way, whenever you encounter a "hang up" while you're writing, do whatever is necessary to keep the paper moving. Don't slow down. Don't blame it on "writer's block." Don't try to figure it out for yourself if you need your client's input (call your client!).

Just keep the paper moving, okay?

Is It Really About Results?

In copywriting, I've often wondered if success was based solely on the results of your copy. It is hard to argue that it's not. For if your copy doesn't get results... or at least pay for itself... it's unlikely you'll be getting repeat business.

But may I suggest there may be something even more powerful than results...

That is RELATIONSHIP.

I've found that clients want to work with real people. People who can be themselves. People who work hard and produce results, but who aren't "business only."

In the past 5 months, I've begun to do some extra-ordinary things to cement client relationships. And you know what? It's working. My repeat business continues to grow.

I'm not going to share exactly what it is I'm doing because I don't want to be copied. Also, I'd rather you apply the principle and discover the tactics yourself. You'll gain more value from that anyway.

The core thing to remember as a copywriter is relationship. How do you further the relationship? What can you do so clients will want to do business with you again? (And in case I haven't made myself clear, the answer is not as simple as "get results.")