VOLUME 19, ISSUE 6 – JUNE 2020
THIS MONTH’S MENU:
I. APPETIZER: ARE YOU IMPRESSING PROSPECTS?
Recent Hiring Experience Underscores Qualities that Turn Prospects’ Heads
II. “FIELD” GREENS: BETTER (IF MORE BRUTAL) BRAINSTORMING
Copywriting Guru Debunks the Conventional Wisdom on “Idea Sessions”
III. MAIN “MEAT” COURSE: SAVVY SCRIPTS (THAT GET RESPECT…)
Protecting Your Professional Image & Rates (Even During Slow Times!)
IV. DESSERT: COMBO SUCCESS STORY/TIP
Need Help Managing Your Workday? Try Ed Gandia’s System!
MN FLCW Activates EASY Productivity Hack; Sees Quick Measurable Results!
I. APPETIZER: ARE YOU IMPRESSING PROSPECTS?
Recent Hiring Experience Underscores Qualities that Turn Prospects’ Heads
I recently hired a virtual assistant to help me compile and format an ebook. To find this person, I went on to Upwork, the clearinghouse for reasonably priced service providers in a broad swath of categories.
I put together a job post, spelling out exactly what I was looking for, what skills I wanted to see, and provided several attachments to give respondents a sense for what they’d be creating. The task was not much more than a big formatting and cut-and-pasting job.
The person I’d eventually hire needed to be reasonably well-versed in Word and PowerPoint (I provided a PPT template into which they’d be dropping content from Word docs); and know how to turn the whole thing into a PDF. Nothing terribly advanced.
I posted the job, along with my ideal hourly-rate range. I didn’t specify a flat fee, which would have dictated the number of hours someone could spend. Rather, because I was uncertain of the time the project would take, I wanted respondents to give me a flat-fee estimate based on their hourly rate.
I figured my detailed project description and supporting attachments would be enough for them to generate that estimate.
Responses Across the Spectrum Seven folks responded in fairly short order, and how very different their responses were. Though I asked respondents to provide an estimate, only two of them actually did. Most of them simply said “I’d love to know more about it!” Not a good sign.
Of the two who provided estimates, one’s was 50% higher than the other, but based on nearly four times as many hours. By contrast, the lower estimate, while based on an hourly rate roughly double my range, was right in line with what I wanted to pay in total.
The Cream Rises to the Top Moreover, she asked good questions to clarify things I’d discussed in the posting. And, before I’d even made a decision, she was already making suggestions for improving the final product, based on what I’d included as the example to follow.
Reasonable price. Highly responsive. Good clarifying questions. Proactively suggesting improvements. What’s not to like?
While I’d anticipated having to review far more proposals, I suddenly found myself thinking, Maybe it could be this easy. I went ahead and hired her, closed down the posting, and thanked the other respondents.
While I’ve hired many folks over the years for various aspects of the publishing process, I’d wager most commercial freelancers are rarely on the hiring side of the table. So, when you are, it’s always instructive to notice how the good ones set themselves apart.
Easy to Stand Out Understand that nothing she did was particularly earth-shattering, nor did any action she take require extensive experience. But, taken all together and delivered professionally and promptly, it made a very strong impression.
Keep all this in mind as you go through the process of prospecting, interacting with prospects, and submitting proposals. Given the world we’re in right now, when things open back up (and they will), you’ll want to be more buttoned up than ever. On that “how-are-you-coming-across?” note, let’s eat!
II. “FIELD” GREENS: BETTER (IF MORE BRUTAL) BRAINSTORMING
Copywriting Guru Debunks the Conventional Wisdom on “Idea Sessions”
This piece draws and quotes heavily from the July 30, 2019 issue (#855) of uber-copywriter John Forde’s excellent newsletter, the COPYWRITER’S ROUNDTABLE (subscribe here), entitled “Brainstorming 101.”
I loved the contrarian point of view, taking issue with what we all just know to be “the ways things work” in this arena. So, the next time you find yourself in such a session (and they can be a blast), you’ll know a better way.
We’ve all heard the “generally accepted” (and oh-so-genteel) rules around brainstorming sessions. Rules, incidentally, which have been traced to ad man Alex F. Osborn (the “O” in BBDO) in the late 1930s.
- No judgment: Collect as many ideas as possible.
- Encourage wild or stupid ideas.
- Forbid discussion: Analysis is death.
- Ban cynics: Too much criticism will yield fewer good ideas.
- Record ideas on a flipchart.
- Impose time limits: 30 minutes is good.
But, new research shows that they don’t work.
In one study, three groups were given the same problems to solve, but each group received different instructions:
Group 1: Just “talk it out.” No rules, just the request to come up with solutions.
Group 2: Stick to Osborn’s method (i.e., free association of ideas, no criticism).
Group 3: Criticize ideas as they come, and focus on quality.
The results? Group 1 generated the fewest ideas. Group 2 did “okay.” But Group 3? The group that criticized freely? They were the most prolific. And, their solutions—about how to help a city planner fix a traffic problem—were the most innovative, according to experienced planners.
And, the next day, Group 3 came back with even more ideas.
Perhaps, we need to reconsider the value of criticism during the process, and devalue the need to feel welcome and comfortable while brainstorming.
Yes, it’s tough to hear criticism, especially in the early days of your career. Yet, the research says you’ll get better ideas if you invite feedback and let it be a force to shape your ideas. Even bad feedback has some value because it can force you to develop your original position more clearly.
John finishes the piece with this: “The bottom line and an essential truth from the history of innovation is this: Don’t get discouraged if your ideas suck, out of the gate. And don’t let criticism get you down either. Because great ideas almost always have to start as lesser ones and then evolve toward greatness.”
III. MAIN “MEAT” COURSE: SAVVY SCRIPTS (THAT GET RESPECT…)
Protecting Your Professional Image & Rates (Even During Slow Times!)
How you’re viewed by clients makes all the difference in how you’re treated. It’s all about perception. If they perceive you’re a doormat, they’ll use you as one.
What follows are three simple scripts to be used in specific scenarios, and all designed to have clients respect you, your time, your work and your rates—even when you’re not as busy as you’d like (certainly a reality for many of us right now).
Yes, these scripts, by definition, will have you stretch the truth at times—not for any malicious purpose, but simply to shape a client’s perception. For those uncomfortable with that, I invite you to view them in the category of “Fake it till you make it.”
- “GOOD TIMING”
If things have been slow, and you get client inquiry, consider this reply:
“Your timing is good. I just finished a project, and assuming you’re interested in getting started fairly soon, I am available to work on this.”
It reinforces the idea that you’re staying busy, while acknowledging how important availability can be to a client.
And, by saying, “…assuming you’re interested in getting started fairly soon…,” it nudges them to get started, implying that if they wait, you may just be busy again on another project.
- “LIGHT A FIRE”
You’ve turned in an estimate to a client you suspect is dragging their feet. You want to spur her to action without being pushy about it. Try using this:
Hey Mary: I do NOT want to bug you about the estimate, but just a heads-up: in a week or two, if all goes as planned, I’ll be starting on a new project that’ll keep me busy for a few weeks. I’d welcome the chance to work with you, and want to be available when you’re ready. If that’s now, great. If not, no problem, but just wanted to let you know!
Maybe it works, maybe not, but, regardless, it’ll convey the idea that you’re a busy, in-demand copywriter (even if that’s not always the case).
- “IN BETWEEN”
Say your business is slow, and a prospect asks you to provide an estimate for a job. You quote it, and it’s a bit too high for them.
But, because you’re slow, you’re willing to do it for the client’s price, but you don’t want them you think you’re desperate and willing to just drop your price simply because they objected to your original quote.
(Note: As a rule, don’t drop your price unless you’re going to narrow the scope of the project: “Sure, Mr. Prospect, I can do it for X$ if we take out parts Y and Z.”)
In this case, consider saying:
“Mr. Prospect, while I typically drop my rates only if a client is willing to reduce the scope of the project, here’s the thing: I just finished up a few projects, and have a few more starting in a week or so. So, I’m in between jobs, and frankly, I’d rather stay busy—even if it’s for a lower fee—than not. So, in this case yes, I can do it for X$.”
You’re putting the client on notice to not expect this price normally, while driving home the idea that you’re busy. Apropos of this…
“Fill-in-the-Gap” Clients
An idea to consider, and one I’ve heard from several writers over the years. Sure, if you do enough prospecting for your ideal clients, you might never have to work for less than you’d like, but, realistically, for most writers, it doesn’t always work out that way.
If you like staying steadily busy—minus deadtime—sometimes a slightly lower-paying client with steady work, can serve nicely as a way to fill in your gaps.
Here’s how it’d work…
You agree to work for the client’s lower rate, but make it clear to them that the trade-off is that you’ll fit them in on your schedule, not theirs.
Obviously, this will only work if, 1) they have steady work that isn’t super time-sensitive; and, 2) you indeed provide higher-caliber writing than they’re used to getting for that lower price.
Articles and blog posts (one aspect of “content” writing) might fill the bill nicely for such a scenario. Because needs are typically ongoing, in most cases, they can use your work anytime.
Moreover, pay is often lower than more specialized marketing copywriting. Over time, if your work is indeed superior to what they’re getting elsewhere, they might just pony up more to keep you around.
IV. DESSERT: COMBO SUCCESS STORY/TIP
Need Help Managing Your Workday? Try Ed Gandia’s System
MN FLCW Activates EASY Productivity Hack; Sees Quick Measurable Results!
Love this simple, practical and exceptionally valuable combo tip/success story from Minnesota FLCW Natalie M. Rotunda, about deploying an easy-to-implement productivity strategy from small-business coach Ed Gandia (why am I not surprised?). I’M going to start using this one. Thanks, Natalie & Ed!
I admit it. Managing my time since I became an independent creative (a/k/a freelancer) had been “iffy,” at best. Distractions aplenty—the culprits, according to me—were to blame for my low production. Ha!
Until I read about Ed Gandia’s :50/:20 system. No more “iffy,” no more blame-game; stuff is getting done. I’d give this system 10 stars.
I took the idea out for a spin right away and, well, Ed won me over. We all know that making a habit ours means doing it over and over until it sticks (21 days, according to many experts).
But, I abandoned it before it became that habit—why, I can’t recall now. Until, quite by accident, I rediscovered the beauty of the system (after, yes, my productivity had taken a hit), reframed it, and now, I use it every day.
How does it work?
Set the timer for :50, and get to work. At the end of the 50, reset the timer for 20 minutes, and go do something else: tackle a few of your weekly marketing tasks, listen to a podcast, take a walk, or maybe chill with a good book.
Now you’re ready to dive into your second :50 session. Finish the first session’s writing, or start the next project. Then spend your well-deserved :20 doing something else.
The editor of the quarterly newsletter I write for noticed a difference in my production. I haven’t had to ask for a deadline extension. In fact, Spring 2020 articles were finished and submitted early!
The beauty of the system?
Your timer is your accountability partner. That accountability thing was the missing piece for me. Now, nothing intrudes on those 50 minutes, and stuff is getting done!
By the way, I wrote about my Mise En Place™ system here a while back, and before setting my timer, I “stage” the writing session by having everything I’ll need at the ready—including a cuppa joe.
I unexpectedly discovered another beauty to this system: the two “E’s”—an upswing of energy and enthusiasm every time I set the timer.
Ed recommends no more than three or four of these intense work sessions in a workday. Agreed! Thanks, Ed!