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A Message from KellyWelcome to The Copywriting Connection! This week we are talking about bidding on projects. How much should you present and how much should you save for later, when the business is secured? I am reading a great book by Jack Canfield, The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. It's a BIG book and I am thoroughly enjoying every page of it. My 14 year-old picked it up this weekend and is now reading it too. While the book's not about copywriting in any way, shape or form, it's about purposefully creating a way of life - something I think all of us strive to do. This week only we are having a buy one get one free special on all of our copywriting classes. We are up to six individual classes now and I am so proud of what we have put together. No where else can you get hands-on writing experience and practice using real world examples (some are from my clients). Each course is fairly short – there's an explanation of goals, content, and objectives for each piece – after that you come up with questions you should ask your client to uncover the target market, client needs and goals. Then, you actually write the copy and present it to the client (which is me). I give you feedback and tell you strengths and weaknesses and send you back to fix it up. The classes give you experience and confidence to do the real work with a real client (and writing samples you can add to your portfolio). Check out the sale – it's only here for a few more days, www.thecopywritinginstitute.com/springbogo.html Happy Copywriting! Kelly
The pros and cons of putting it all out there when bidding on a projectWhen bidding on a project, how much should you share? In addition to "how much should I charge", the ideas you share with prospective clients not only have a major impact on your getting the project, but do a lot to show your overall expertise and ability to help their business grow. I recently bid on a project for a client I had never worked with before. They had approached me about doing a simple redo of a brochure, nothing more. During our initial conversation my contact shared his concerns of accomplishing his marketing objectives and his frustrations reaching his target market. In addition to redoing the brochure, I saw the opportunity to do several, simple things to grow their business in a big way and shared those ideas in my proposal. I put several hours and tons of energy into presenting several different packages with a variety of price points and options. They decided not to hire me and I was bummed – but it happens, that's life. It wasn't the first time and it certainly won't be the last. However, my contact approached me a few weeks later asking me to finish something they had started. They had taken all my ideas and tried to write it themselves. They wanted to pay me a small fraction of what I had proposed to "clean up and finish" what they had written. I was shocked that they had "stolen" my ideas – ideas they never would have thought to do on their own. I was glad I had "upsold" them in my packaging, disappointed they hadn't hired me to write it, and angry they decided to take my (I must say great ideas) and kick me out of the loop and do it themselves. I try very hard to be a positive person and let things go. To not hold grudges and continually focus on losses and failures. This one is stuck in my graw. I thought this was a great topic for discussion – where do you draw the line? You want the business and your best shot is to present your best ideas to prospects. But when you do this you take the risk of prospects using your ideas and going with someone else, possibly someone less expensive, or doing it in-house. Should you not worry about that, the negative possibilities, and always give it your all? Or should you hold back a little bit and save your best options for once you've got the business? Up sell them AFTER you've won the business? © The Copywriting Connection. All Rights Reserved. Want to use this article for your e-zine or web site? No problem! Just let us know at support@thecopywritinginstitute. We'll send you a short bio to include at the end of the article.
Copywriters ChallengeWe challenge you to think about how much you are willing to lose when you bid on a project. Should you put it all out there in the proposal or bid on what they are asking and save the upsell for later? Word of the WeekThis week's word of the week is sagacious [suh-gey-shuhs]. Sagacious means having or showing acute mental discernment and keen practical sense; shrewd; wise; judicious. For example it could be used to describe someone like: a sagacious lawyer. Tools for your SuccessThe Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
Limited time offer! Buy one of our copywriting classes and get a second one Here's how to take advantage of the BOGO Spring Sale:
AND If you bring a friend to The Copywriting Institute and they purchase any of our packages, we'll give you another $25 off your purchase. That's right. Simply have your friend put YOUR name in the comments section when purchasing a package and we'll take care of the rest! Learn more about our Spring BOGO sale now All content is copyrighted© 2008 |
by Jack Canfield - The Success Principles is a roadmap for anyone - from marketing professionals to small business owners, and from teachers to students and parents - striving to achieve their professional and personal dreams or goals. Touching on every aspect of our lives, Jack Canfield offers 64 practical and inspiring principles to get any aspiring person from where they are to where they want to be.