VOLUME 15, ISSUE 8 – AUGUST 2016
THIS MONTH’S MENU:
I. APPETIZER: WHAT DID WE DO BEFORE LINKEDIN? (A LOT!)
Response to Reader: LinkedIn Is ONE Way—Not the ONLY Way—To Build a Biz!
II. “FIELD” GREENS: ARE YOU LANDING WORK FROM PLAY?
CA FLCW Couple Reminds: Great Gigs Can Come From Non-Work Settings!
III. MAIN “MEAT” COURSE: ARE YOU HELPING PROSPECTS HIRE YOU?
AZ FLCW’S 10 Questions Reveal Prospects’ Needs and Establish Her Expertise!
IV. DESSERT: SWEET SUCCESS STORIES & TIPS
Chicago FLCW Stops Tracking Everything, Just “Does It,” and Thrives!
TIP: 128 Words That Eliminate the Need to Use the Word “Very”!
I. APPETIZER: WHAT DID WE DO BEFORE LINKEDIN? (A LOT!)
Response to Reader: LinkedIn Is ONE Way—Not the ONLY Way—To Build a Biz!
Had an interesting little exchange with a FLCW recently, who asked:
How important is a LinkedIn profile to a full-time professional in another field who wants to build a commercial writing practice on the side? (I’m a Director of Professional Services for a software company). Understandably, I’m concerned that colleagues, clients, and especially my executive team might see this on LinkedIn.
My reply: LinkedIn (LI) is just one more way to build any business/practice, but it’s certainly not necessarily the best or only way. And I’m smiling as I type this (and of course, you realize this…), but prior to, oh, say, 2002 (and for hundreds of years before that), LI wasn’t even around, and yet, people still built businesses…
No question, it can be a good tool (if used correctly) to build a business, but if having a profile is going to create problems, and it could in this case, forget it until you can go full-time.
Similarly amusing is when people are trying to figure out how to reach a prospect through LI when they don’t have a premium account that allows direct contact. In like fashion, I’ll say, “My, my, prior to the advent of LI, what in the world did people do in such situations? Oh yeah, they called them up or emailed them directly. Hello?”
It’s as if, because there’s this “gateway” now, people think it’s the only acceptable way to connect. No, direct contact info isn’t always readily available, but a little digging should unearth an email (Hint: check the PR or Media links on your prospect’s site; those folks need to be accessible. If you see john.smith@abcinc.com, now you have the formula to determine your prospect’s address…).
Finally, on another LI note: Just because someone connects with you on LI doesn’t mean they’ll happily connect you to their contacts. I’ve accepted requests to connect from people I don’t know, and then they want me to link them to some of my LI contacts.
Usually knowing next to nothing about that person and how good they are at what they do (and because it’ll reflect negatively on me if things don’t go well), I’m naturally hesitant to hook them up. And, I’ll remind them—as noted above—that they don’t need me to connect with that person; they can hunt them down just as was done in the good old days! On that “you’ve-got-more-options-than-you-think” note, let’s eat!
II. “FIELD” GREENS: ARE YOU LANDING WORK FROM PLAY?
CA FLCW Couple Reminds: Great Gigs Can Come From Non-Work Settings!
I’ve always been a big fan (AND beneficiary!) of keeping one’s radar open to writing opportunities beyond your traditional prospecting avenues. And this great firsthand piece from Berkeley, CA FLCW’s Tim and Abigail makes the point nicely. Enjoy!
As freelance writers, we all understand the importance of prospecting for new work, whether by phone, email, or networking. While many of us dread the process, sometimes you can find work in unexpected places. When that happens, it’s an important reminder to be open to finding new clients anywhere.
Two recent examples:
1) Not long ago, my partner and I attended a dinner/theater show, organized by a long-time friend, who’d invited one of her oldest friends from southern California. In a conversation with the friend, I found out she ran a business doing consulting and marketing for a number of businesses in L.A. She’s a writer, but needs to work with a second writer and editor, to proof her work, and to handle her overflow writing.
Her previous writing partner had recently taken a full-time job, so she was looking for a replacement. I immediately offered up my services, and we agreed to talk soon after. A week later, we had a phone conversation and are now discussing moving forward with various projects.
2) Our new next-door neighbor’s parents recently visited her from the east coast. She’d mentioned that they ran their own successful auto-related business. We mentioned our writing services, and ended up being invited to over to meet them. Over an evening of wine, laughs, and making friends, we learned that, in the coming year, they need written content for their new website, an ongoing newsletter, rewrites for their info dumps, and a number of other services.
The point? Neither of these opportunities came from prospecting, and we never would have met them except by socializing with friends. So, remember: Someone you know could open the door to a new opportunity, in a setting completely unrelated to your writing business.
III. MAIN “MEAT” COURSE: ARE YOU HELPING PROSPECTS HIRE YOU?
AZ FLCW’S 10 Questions Reveal Prospects’ Needs and Establish Her Expertise!
Pulled this cool list of questions from “Project Update,” an emailed newsletter sent by Tucson, AZ FLCW Martha Retallick. This piece was designed to speak to prospects, and get them to think about what sort of writing they need done, why they’re doing it, and how they should be thinking about it.
What I like about it is that it presents a spectrum of possible writing projects to help MOST prospects “find themselves” (and their specific need), and realize that Martha can help them. It also does some educating (especially about features vs. benefits, which SO many businesspeople are clueless about), which positions her as an expert, and capable of helping them reach their goals. Thanks, Martha!
Why are we doing this?
This isn’t an existential question. It’s at the heart of every copywriting project. And it’s a question that leads to this set.
Call it The Copywriting Top 10:
1.What can I write for you? Do you need website copy? Words for your brochure? A news release? Or something else?
2. What is your project scope? Is it copy for a website that features 10 products? And you need the copy completed by the end of the month?
3. What is your objective? In other words, do you want me to ghostwrite an article that will position you as a thought leader in your field? Or are you looking for an artist statement that describes the vision behind your sculpture?
4. What are you promoting? Are you selling products? Services? Or, perhaps, your copy announces an upcoming event in a 120-seat theater—and you want a sold-out house.
5. What does your product or service look like? Yes, I know. A picture is worth 1,000 words. But those pictures will need captions.
6. What are features? Benefits? Advantages? If your software helps people complete a complex task with a single keystroke, that’s a feature. If this feature is going to save a 100-employee company 3,000 man-hours in a year, that’s a benefit. If yours is the only software that offers this feature, that’s an advantage.
7. How does your product or service differ from the competition? Sometimes, it’s right there on the surface. If you’re in the hearing- aid business, you’re aware of how designers try to disguise these devices. Not you. Your hearing aids are hot pink, neon green, and they’re a big hit with children and teens.
8. Do you have any reviews or testimonials? If you’re launching a company, this may be a challenge. But can you host a taste-test of your gluten-free desserts? Or ask for beta-testing of your software?
9. Why would customers choose you over the competition? If you’re drawing a blank, conduct a one-question survey: Ask that loyal clientele why they do business with you.
10. What do you want people to do after they’ve read your copy? If you’re selling online, well, it’s time for “Click here to buy now!” For services where the sale is done via purchase order with your invoice coming later, encourage people to call or e-mail with their questions. The Q&A will get your sales process rolling.
Your turn!
IV. DESSERT: SWEET SUCCESS STORIES & TIPS
Chicago FLCW Stops Tracking Everything, Just “Does It,” and Thrives!
TIP: 128 Words That Eliminate the Need to Use the Word “Very”!
Got this appealing success story from Chicago FLCW Val Rendel. Taking a contrarian view, she stopped keeping track of every single detail of her prospecting, and just focused on reaching as many people as possible. And then, things started happening.
I love it. We can definitely overthink and over-track our progress (arguably, just an advanced stalling tactic!), rather than focus on the most important thing (i.e., making the contacts—hello?). Enjoy!
When I was teaching college writing, my students would stress out more about their writing process than their final product, intent on DOING IT RIGHT. “Just do it,” I’d tell them, “Keep going and don’t stop to think about it too much. You’ll get there.”
I liked teaching. I even liked reading student papers (yes, really). What I hated was the grading, the recordkeeping, the meetings and strategic plans and learning outcomes and so forth. That part was godawful boring, and sucked a lot of the joy out of education. So when I made the leap to freelance writing, I was finally free: no more pencils, no more books, no more endlessly detailed bureaucratic paperwork.
First, though, I needed to find clients. I cold-called, cold-emailed, sent flyers, went to networking events and meetings, wrote and rehearsed and rewrote my script endless times. For a while, I kept track of all the dates, times, names, places, drafts, etc., in a nice neat spreadsheet. And THAT got to be godawful boring.
I was spending so much time focusing on DOING IT RIGHT that the recordkeeping itself was slowing me down, not allowing me to gain momentum.
So I stopped worrying about keeping track and just did it. I made note of the ones who replied with an outright “no” and moved as swiftly as I could down my list of prospects. When one list was complete, I started another.
So I really couldn’t tell you which method was the one that landed me my first client. (They never were quite able to remember how they heard of me, either, so I didn’t feel too bad.) But they loved me, praised me in all caps, and secretly advised me (off the record) to raise my rates. Which I did, just in time for the next client who seemed to appear as if by magic. And they in turn recommended me to another. And another.
So my strategy is that I have no strategy. Just do it, I used to tell my students, even if it sucks. Don’t worry and don’t stop; you’ll get there. Turns out that’s good advice after all.
Val Rendel taught college writing for 18 years before discovering her freelance writing superpowers. Now, as her alter ego, The Writing Doctor, she uses her powers for good and not evil.
Great link to an infographic entitled, “128 Words to Use Instead of ‘Very,’” from Luke Palder, who runs www.ProofreadingServices.com. But it’s cleverer than it sounds, as the title isn’t really accurate: It’s not actually 128 replacements for the word “very,” but rather, one-word alternatives to 128 two-word pairs starting with “very.” Enjoy!