I'm sending out the E-PUB on the first Thursday this month to
steer clear of the holiday and the Òback-to-workÓ Wednesday. Next month IÕll
resume the first-Tuesday schedule.
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Welcome to THE WELL-FED E-PUB!
The companion
monthly ezine to the quadruple-award-winning how-to
guide, ÒThe Well-Fed WriterÓ (http://www.wellfedwriter.com). Serving up food
for thought and tasty tips for the prospering FLCW*. Come on in, sit anywhere
and bring your appetite!
*FLCW, peppered
throughout the ezine, stands for ÒFreelance
Commercial WriterÓ—anyone who freelances for
businesses (vs. writing magazine articles, short stories, poetry, etc.),
typically earns $50-125+ an hour, and is the sole focus of this
e-newsletter.
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VOLUME
12, ISSUE 1 – JANUARY 2013 – HAPPY ÒWELL-FEDÓ NEW YEAR!
Publishing
the first Tuesday of every month since May 2002
Read
it Online at: http://www.wellfedwriter.com/ezine/jan2013.html
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PARTNER
WITH DESIGNERS FOR A LOW-EFFORT FLOW OF WRITING JOBS!
Details
here: http://www.wellfedwriter.com/partnerwithdesignersebook.shtml.
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NEW 1-ON-1 COACHING PROGRAMS: SAMPLE/SITE REVIEW
& ÒSIDECARÓ!
Low-cost peace of mind and guidance: http://wellfedwriter.com/mentoring.shtml.
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Check out The WELL-FED
WRITER BLOG! Weigh in on ÒWhy Estimating Copywriting Projects is Like Learning
to Play TennisÓ; Ò5 Reasons You ArenÕt Where You Want to Be
as a Commercial FreelancerÓ; and more! http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog.
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I SERIOUSLY NEED GREENS,
TIPS & SUCCESS STORIES for the E-PUB!
Landed a great client?
Had a successful marketing campaign? Done something else that boosted your FLCW
income? Send them to peter@wellfedwriter.com.
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THIS
MONTHÕS MENU:
I. APPETIZER: IS ÒTHE FORCEÓ WITH YOU
WHEN PROSPECTING?
The (No-Brainer) Secret to Not Sweating
Over Each Promising Prospect!
II. ÒFIELDÓ GREENS: TRY MARKETING, NOT SALES: LET CLIENTS CHASE YOU!
MA FLCWÕs Low-Key Presence in Industry Discussions Yields
Steady Work!
III. MAIN ÒMEATÓ COURSE: READY FOR
ÒFACE-TO-FACE COLD CALLINGÓ?
OH FLCW Serves Up the ÒHow-ToÓ on
Intensive Tradeshow Prospecting!
IV. DESSERT: Sweet Success Stories and Tips
ÒMain CourseÓ FLCW Shares Her Story of Meeting Adversity
Head-On—and Winning!
TIP: Toronto FLCW Shares Lead on FR.EE (& Feature-Rich)
CRM Program!
V. COFFEE, MINTS AND
TOOTHPICKS
- MORE WORK WITH LESS EFFORT? New Ebook
Serves Up the ÒHow-ToÓ!
- THE WELL-FED E-PUB
NEEDS ALL COURSES!
- The WELL-FED WRITER
BLOG is RockinÕ! http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog
- AWAI Copywriting (& Other) Courses: Register Here, Get
Bonus CD!
- How Can
My Mentoring Service Serve You?
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I. APPETIZER: IS ÒTHE FORCEÓ WITH YOU
WHEN PROSPECTING?
The (No-Brainer) Secret to Not Sweating
Over Each Promising Prospect!
Recently, as I noted in an earlier Appetizer, I did a bunch of cold
calling after hitting a slow patch in my copywriting business. Within a short
time, not surprisingly, I was starting to get leads again (in my experience, once
youÕve built a solid business, you never have to do as big a marketing push as
your initial one; if lean times come, one good round of prospecting has always
been enough to get things going again).
Suddenly I was fielding a ton of inquiries. One prospect for my book
titling/back-cover copywriting service emailed to get a quote. I replied back
with some numbers, but didnÕt hear back (I figured he might not have visited my
site (www.titletailor.com), where
I do post prices, and was now a bit wigged out by the quote). I emailed him one
more time to make sure he got my first one, and again, didnÕt hear back. No big
deal.
Then, a similar scenario popped up. Got a referral from one of my
graphic designers to a woman needing web copy and names/product descriptions
for 20-25 products (there it is again: the power of alliances with designers;
see link above to my ebook on the subject). I gave
her a quote, taking special care not to lowball her just because things were a
little slow. Gotta have
faith in not only your abilities, but the Law of Averages.
She replied back, telling me it was more than sheÕd counted on, and that
she was going to check out a few other writers. I encouraged her do so, adding
that she should ask any writer she was considering whether they had, not just
ÒwritingÓ experience, but Òmarketing writingÓ experience (which she definitely
needed). BIG difference.
Then, I let it go, just like IÕd let go of the first one. The key? I had
so much brewing, I didnÕt care about the outcome of
any given lead. ThatÕs where you want to be. If youÕre fixating on one
prospect, you donÕt have enough going on. When your Òprospect pipelineÓ is
full, your lack of concern will translate to the right relaxed vibe to attract
work.
Guess what? About 10 days after sending the first guy email #2, I get a package
from him with all the requested materials AND a cashierÕs check for the full
amount. A week or so after that, I get an email from Prospect #2 (about a month
after last hearing from her), saying she was going ahead with me. Her 50%
deposit check arrived five days later. It all works out. Just stay busy, and
have faith in YOU and the process. LetÕs eat!
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PB NOTE: As noted above, I am in DIRE NEED of three E-PUB courses:
GREENS (200-400 words; longer success stories, successful strategies that can
be explained in fewer words, etc.); TIPS (100-200 words; a particularly useful
site or blog (and why), service, tool, resource, ergonomic tip, etc.); and
SUCCESS STORIES (150-300 words; good stories of how something went really well
with a client, a prospecting campaign, an unusual/serendipitous way you landed
work, etc.
You do NOT have to be a veteran to contribute; many great stories come
from those starting out. NO KIDDING, if I donÕt get some more stuff in the
hopper, I wonÕt have enough to put together many more issues. NO exaggeration.
If you like what IÕve been doing here since May 2002, help me continue it while
you help out your fellow FLCWÕs. Send submissions and ideas to peter@wellfedwriter.com, and check out the archived issues at http://wellfedwriter.com/ezine.shtml to make sure yours is a fit.
Thanks!
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II. ÒFIELDÓ GREENS: TRY MARKETING, NOT SALES: LET CLIENTS CHASE YOU!
MA FLCWÕs Low-Key Presence in Industry Discussions Yields
Steady Work!
Got this cool idea/success story from Hadley, MA FLCW,
fellow author, and all-round good guy, Shel Horowitz
(shel@principledprofit.com).
ShelÕs carved out two lucrative niches serving authors/publishers
and the ÒgreenÓ market. This piece showcases a key way he lands business. ItÕs
adapted from his award-winning eighth book, "Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green" (http://guerrillamarketinggoesgreen.com). ShelÕs also the author of ÒGrassroots Marketing for Authors and
PublishersÓ (http://www.grassrootsmarketingforauthors.com).
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I'm
a big believer in setting up marketing systems so that clients contact me, and
I don't have to come across as pushy—just helpful and available. It's so
much easier to do business when the client thinks it's his/her own idea. I
close a LOT of business by letting clients control the sales cycle. HereÕs one
way I do itÉ
My
largest source of new clients over the years has been a certain email
discussion list of small-press publishers. IÕve made it a practice to ask
people whoÕve used and been delighted by my services to mention their satisfaction
to the list (some of them do so with no prompting from me). Over several years,
list members have heard dozens of people exclaim about my skills in writing
promotional materials, even on tight deadlines.
Some
of these publishers may go months or years between new titles, but when they
have a new book coming out, they need to find someone to write their publicity.
I post frequently and helpfully to this group, and many of my posts subtly
demonstrate (often by using examples from client work IÕve done) the advantages
of having press releases professionally written—something thatÕs
particularly true in the book industry, where itÕs very hard to get press
coverage through ÒordinaryÓ press releases.
At
the end of my post is my signature, an electronic business card that mentions
my writing services, along with contact information and the slogan, ÒI make the
world INSIST on learning why YOUÕRE special.Ó (To keep it fresh, I do change
the signature every once in a while, or use one of the many alternate versions
IÕve developed.)
This
list brings me thousands of dollars a year with zero monetary investment. It often
starts with a very small job, perhaps a single press release—but as
clients realize that my approach really helps them market more successfully, they come back for many other projects. Some
of the people on this list have done many thousands of dollarsÕ worth of
business with me, and again, my marketing cost for these clients was zero.
One
client was skeptical about whether my approach was actually better than what
heÕd been doing on his own. So he ran a test, sending out a press release IÕd
written to one group of journalists, and one of his own press releases to
another. He reported back to the entire list that my release had pulled six
times as many responses as his own effort. He has since come back to me for
many, many projects, and I'm sure the glowing reports he gave helped other
clients decide to contact me.
No, most commercial
freelancers donÕt write for publishers, but try mapping this strategy onto your
niche areas of expertise. Do your clients have industry forums they contribute
to regularly? If so, find out what they are, and weigh in in a similarly
low-key, helpful, promo-free way. You might just be surprised at where it can
go!
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III. MAIN ÒMEATÓ COURSE: READY FOR
ÒFACE-TO-FACE COLD CALLINGÓ?
OH FLCW Serves Up the ÒHow-ToÓ on Intensive
Tradeshow Prospecting!
Great piece on how to successfully work trade shows (in lieu
of cold calling) from Cincinnati-area FLCW Tammy York (www.landsharkcommunications.com;
Tammy is also the force behind bonbonmommy.com,
her blog that helps moms understand how to manage a freelance writing business
with kids at home). Love the how-to detail she offers. Heck, makes me want to
do a little research, jump a plane, and see what I can stir up. Not for
everyone, but clearly a viable strategy. Enjoy!
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IÕm not a fan of cold calling. Really, who is? I do, however,
live in a metro area and can get cheap flights to most anywhere there are
tradeshows. Recently, I went to Atlanta and Orlando. Not for fun. For some
Òface-to-face cold calling.Ó I found the tradeshows by picking a few non-sexy
niches (i.e., trash removal, steel manufacturing, recycling, etc.), looking up
the associations, and the tradeshows they have.
Tradeshows often sell expo-only passes for a fraction of the
cost of attending the show with all the perks. The expo-only pass will get you
on the expo floor with all the vendors—vendors who paid money to display,
which means they have money to spend on marketing. The more expensive the
tradeshow booth, the greater the likelihood the president, vice president, or
marketing director will be at the booth.
Typically, youÕre not allowed to sell while on the floor and
doing so could get kicked out. But, youÕre not there to sell; youÕre there to
connect. Be nice, quick, and gone.
To prepare, I print up about 1,000 business cards and 500
follow-up postcards. I pack four outfits that donÕt wrinkle, and a comfortable
pair of shoes. I get to the expo early, and am one of the first in the door
when it opens. I pick one side of the room and begin going up and down the
aisles. I never interrupt a conversation, just mark the booth number and stop
back by when IÕm near that area again.
I make between 300 and 800 contacts per show. I gauge their
level of interest (hot, warm, ice princess), determine if theyÕre the decision
makers, ask them questions about what theyÕre doing and what they would like to
be doing marketing-wise. I ask them if I could have their business card so I
can send them some samples of projects that might help them out. I trade
business cards with them. I make notes in my notebook and continue on. The
whole conversation takes less than 2 minutes.
For lunch, I pack a Kashi
breakfast bar, apple, and a refillable Nalgene water bottle. I do this for two
reasons: tradeshow food is disgusting and I want to maximize the time IÕm on
the floor. On breaks, I always sit alone at a table and then offer the free
seat to someone needing one. I have met presidents of multi-million dollar
companies and they have graciously introduced me to their PR person as someone
they would like their company to work with. Talk about a great referral!
At night, I treat myself to a nice dinner before heading
back to my hotel room, entering the data from the cards and filling out the
address portion on the postcards I stamped before leaving for the show. At the
end of the conference, I drop the postcards in the mail before getting on the
plane. The next touch point is a follow-up call and then a follow-up mail. Then
I put them into my standard call/email rotation.
This last conference was a week long and cost me about
$1,200 (expo-only passes, clothing, shoes, new briefcase, printing, airfare,
hotel, tips, shuttles, and food.) I will be closing a few deals before the end
of the year that will more than cover the costs of going to the conference. In
fact, IÕll have enough to pay for our familyÕs Disney vacation.
Plus, now I have an extensive email-marketing list to work.
IÕm also working through requested follow-up calls. Sure, they may not buy from
me right now but this is a six-to-nine-month pipeline that will generate income
for me in 2013, and a significant portion of my income for 2014. Yes, I plan
that far in advance. You should, too!
PB Note: DonÕt miss TammyÕs short, sweet and inspiring account (in the
Dessert section) of building her business through sheer hard work and
determination!
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IV. DESSERT: Sweet Success Stories and Tips
ÒMain CourseÓ FLCW Shares Her Story of Meeting Adversity
Head-On—and Winning!
TIP: Toronto FLCW Shares Lead on FR.EE (& Feature-Rich)
CRM Program!
Below, Tammy York (who provided this issueÕs great ÒMain
CourseÓ on tradeshows) shares her uplifting account of hunkering down to make
her business a reality. After that, a great lead to a CRM program (customer
relationship management; to keep track of all your contacts), from a FLCW who
wishes to remain anonymous.
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Peter: Your book gave me an understanding of freelancing,
along with the courage to quit my fulltime job so I could stay home and raise
my children. I saved up six months of income working freelance jobs and walked
away from my job. It was the best day EVER!
Then all three of my hefty clients folded or were bought,
the AC unit fried, the dishwasher died, and the washing machine became a sieve.
I dug my heels in, powered through, and now seven years later, I am a
well-respected and well-paid writer and author. I would have never gotten this
far without hard work, late nights, and enough caffeine to kill a horse.
PB: How badly do you want it? As badly as
Tammy apparently did?
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Peter: I recently found a great CRM program from Zoho (http://www.zoho.com).
And theyÕve got a free version thatÕs very robust. It offers
a suite of tools including invoicing that I'm sure other budget-minded FLCWÕs
might appreciate.
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V. COFFEE, MINTS AND
TOOTHPICKS
- MORE WORK WITH LESS EFFORT? New Ebook
Serves Up the ÒHow-ToÓ!
- THE WELL-FED E-PUB
NEEDS ALL COURSES!
- The WELL-FED WRITER
BLOG is RockinÕ! http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog
- AWAI Copywriting (& Other) Courses: Register Here, Get
Bonus CD!
- How Can
My Mentoring Service Serve You?
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MORE WORK WITH LESS EFFORT? New Ebook Serves Up the ÒHow-ToÓ!
ThatÕs not hype. ItÕs how my business has worked for the
better part of 18 years, thanks to some juicy partnerships with graphic
designers. The result? 1-2 jobs virtually every month with little or no effort
on my part. And I put all the how-to details down on paper. Check it out at http://www.wellfedwriter.com/partnerwithdesignersebook.shtml.
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IÕM
SERIOUSLY LOW ON ALL WELL-FED E-PUB COURSES!
Got a great strategy,
approach or specific expertise youÕre willing to share? Turn it into a Feature
(MAIN COURSE) for the EPUB (500-600 words; query first). ALSO, send your ÒGREENSÓ
(200-400 words), TIPS (100-200) and SUCCESS STORIES (150-300) to peter@wellfedwriter.com. Archived issues at http://www.wellfedwriter.com/ezine.shtml.
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The
WELL-FED WRITER BLOG is RockinÕ! http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog
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AWAI COPYWRITING (& OTHER) COURSES: Register Here, Get Your Choice of Bonus CD Program! Six-Figure
Copywriting, Graphic Design, Internet Writing, Fundraising, Health Market and
more! http://www.wellfedwriter.com/awai.shtml.
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HOW CAN MY MULTIPLE MENTORING PROGRAMS SERVE YOU?
For details and testimonials, visit http://www.wellfedwriter.com/mentoring.shtml.
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