VOLUME 19, ISSUE 5 – MAY 2020
THIS MONTH’S MENU:
I. APPETIZER: ODE TO A DEARLY DEPARTED DOGGY
Yours Truly Channels His Sidelined Writing Skills into Rich, Non-financial Rewards
II. “FIELD” GREENS: WILL HISTORY REPEAT, TO OUR BENEFIT?
Recalling a Past Downturn and How It Boosted the Fortunes of Freelancers
III. MAIN “MEAT” COURSE: “TUNE UP” YOUR BIZ WITH 8 QUESTIONS
Small-Biz Coach: Put on Your “Mechanic” Hat and Diagnose Your Business!
IV. DESSERT: SWEET SUCCESS STORIES & TIPS
Cooking Up a Substitute Tip/Success Story (since I don’t have actual ones…)
APPETIZER: ODE TO A DEARLY DEPARTED DOGGY
Yours truly channels his sidelined writing skills into rich, non-financial rewards
A very dear friend of mine lost her nearly 16-year-old dog a few weeks ago. She called me at 8:45 a.m. that morning, sobbing. A 4:00 a.m. crisis lead to a frantic trip to the 24-hour veterinary clinic.
Lucy would never have survived the surgery to remove the large, inoperable mass the vet found in her stomach. So, as my friend held her to her heart one last time, the doctor administered the shot that stopped her heart.
My friend was so broken up, so utterly inconsolable. I know, “it’s just a dog,” right? Oh, no. Never let anyone tell you that losing a pet is no less traumatic than losing a family member, especially if you live alone like my friend did.
And we’re talking about a constant companion through different cities, marriages, relationships, homes, jobs and lives.
Knowing how much I loved her pup as well, she stopped by my house at 9 a.m. With Lucy wrapped in her favorite blanket in the backseat, I had a chance to touch her sweet, now-quiet form one last time.
Then, my friend left to spend the weekend at a dear friend’s house, where she buried Lucy (no place to do so in her apartment complex) in their backyard alongside a few of her longtime playtime pals.
I checked in with her a few times over the next several days, just leaving messages of comfort and offering support. And then, I had an idea… What might I do to, perhaps, offer a small measure of the comfort that seemed so elusive right now?
Needless to say, work has been slow, and well, a writer’s got to write, right? So, I sat down and I wrote a letter. A letter from Lucy to her mom, as, I explained in the letter, channeled through her Uncle Peter, who, as her Mom knew, spoke pretty decent Dog.
In the letter, Lucy shared her new life in that big dog park in the sky, running with all her friends, and with all the energy, exuberance and pain-free joy of a puppy. All the food they could eat, endless treats, and you never grew old.
Most importantly, Lucy wanted to thank my friend for being the greatest mom that any dog, anytime, anywhere, could ever have hoped to have. And to reassure her, that, just like in life, she was, again, in very good hands.
I wrestled with whether I should even give it to her, worried that it would just reopen emotional wounds that were still raw, and just starting to heal. But, in the end, I followed my heart.
She didn’t want to read it right away, promising to look at it later. She then proceeded to share a dream she’d had the night before—one that eerily echoed some of the words and sentiments shared in the letter.
Shortly after returning home that night, I got a text from her thanking me profusely for the letter, and asking if I’d written it for Lucy. I responded, “I’d like to think I just channeled her when I wrote it.”
Her reply, “You did, and it was the most loving thing ever.” In response to my stated hope that it provided some comfort, she replied, “It did, and will, for the rest of my life.”
Some might think this all sort of silly, but, under certain trying circumstances, stories—even ones we know are fiction—can have enormous power to move, comfort and bring peace.
No, there were no client calls, proposals sent, deposit checks received, drafts submitted, or final balances collected. But, it sure felt good to write something that made a real difference for someone. And isn’t that really what our jobs are all about? On that “food-for-thought” note, let’s eat!
II. “FIELD” GREENS: WILL HISTORY REPEAT (TO OUR BENEFIT)?
Recalling a Past Downturn and How It Boosted the Fortunes of Freelancers
Once upon a time, a long time ago (26 years, in fact), I launched a commercial-writing practice. Because my blinders were on, it didn’t register that I’d started my business right smack dab in the midst of an economic downturn, which, in turn, lead to a recession in the creative industries.
A lot of ad agencies and design firms closed their doors, and I met several refugees from those shuttered enterprises, now ensconced in corporate jobs. Talk about a business climate not exactly hospitable to a guy trying to get a fledgling business off the ground.
But, on the other hand, in an interesting twist, the conditions at the time, seemingly paradoxically, helped me get established. How so?
Simple. When the economy hits a downturn, companies predictably cut costs. One of the most logical moves is to shed pricey or “boutique” agencies or design/marketing firms.
The corporate scalpel also came (unwisely, to my mind…) for their own marketing communications/creative departments. And both happened in spades at the time.
But, here’s the thing: the marketing, writing and design work still needed to get done. But with their agency and much of their marketing communications staff now pink-slipped, typically leaving a skeleton crew holding down the fort, their options were limited.
Sure, many limped along doing it in-house, say, shunting off the writing tasks to that already overextended admin. But, the smart ones knew they couldn’t get by with amateur efforts, and they’d hired competent freelancers like me.
That said, many didn’t even know people like us existed, making it imperative that we prospect diligently.
That’s how I got in the doors of some pretty big-name companies, either through my own outreach efforts, or riding the coattails of a freelance designer who’d done theirs, and were also benefiting from the same downsizing-outsourcing dynamic.
And many of these companies who’d hired quality freelance resources like me and my freelance design partners, received an unexpected bonus: the results they got from us were as good, and very often, better, than they’d gotten from their pricey agencies.
And, even better, they got those results for a fraction of the cost of those overhead-bloated, bricks-and-mortar agencies. I saw it again and again.
Even when the economy turned back around, many companies who could have rehired those agencies, stuck to this new model, having gotten accustomed to all the bottom-line benefits.
No, it didn’t happen across the board. And yes, some projects, campaigns and initiatives need a larger entity’s muscle, depth and connections—things a couple of freelancers can’t provide (unless they’re deeply networked).
But, arguably, most projects that companies previously tapped larger agencies for, can most assuredly be handled by a sharp freelance writer/designer team.
I don’t know what’s going to happen when the pandemic passes, but it’s hardly a stretch to predict that many companies, whose revenues took a nosedive for several months, will be looking for ways to trim expenses moving forward.
And because they are, they’ll logically be more receptive to the overtures of talented and far less expensive folks like us. Giving you any ideas?
III. MAIN “MEAT” COURSE: “TUNE UP” YOUR BIZ WITH 8 QUESTIONS
Small-Biz Coach: Put on Your “Mechanic” Hat and Diagnose Your Business!
Timely piece from friend, colleague and Atlanta-based small-biz coach,
Ed Gandia. What better time—than during The Big Timeout—to make any necessary adjustments to your copywriting practice? When things get back to “normal” (and they WILL, whatever that looks like), you’ll be focused and ready. Thanks, Ed!
My grandfather was a top-notch auto mechanic. He could determine what was wrong with your car simply by listening to the engine and asking questions.
This was way before fancy diagnostic systems. Mechanics back then really had to know their stuff. Because YOU were the diagnostic system!
As a freelance professional, it’s important to develop the same diagnostic skills a savvy mechanic possesses. Doing so enables you to reach and maintain high performance levels.
And when performance falters, knowing how to identify and address the root cause will help you rebound much faster.
So, whether your business is doing great—or it’s starting to clunk, grind or rattle—use these eight questions to “tune up” your business:
- Are you going after the right market? Does this market truly understand your value? Do prospects in this market “get it”? Do they normally hire freelancers in your field? Are they willing to pay what you’re worth?
- Are you differentiating yourself? Letting the world know that you’re open for business is not enough. You need to tell your prospects what you bring to the table, why you’re different and why they should care.
Above all, what you say must resonate with them. Being different, by itself, is not going to matter if they don’t see the benefit.
- Do you really understand your prospect’s world? Are you plugged into what she faces every day—her challenges, concerns, aspirations and beliefs? Do you have a clear picture of the “conversations” going on in her head as she drives to and from work?
- Are you steadily working on generating leads? Once you know whom you’re going after, you need to pursue those prospects actively(warm emails, direct mail, tapping personal and business contacts, etc.) and/or passively (authority-building articles, lead magnets, LinkedIn, etc.).
And you need to do it consistently, not just when you’re slow.
- Are you converting enough leads to clients? If you’re generating a decent number of leads but not turning enough of them into clients, you need to evaluate your approach. Are you following up quickly and often? Are you asking the right questions when you follow up? Are your proposals persuasive? Does your pricing strategy need work?
- Are you staying in touch with longer-term leads? What are you doing with prospects who aren’t ready to hire you today? Are you staying in touch without being a pest? Are you sending value-added information in the way of a newsletter, articles of interest or handwritten notes with good ideas?
A big chunk of my business came to me as a result of staying in touch with “not-ready-now” prospects.
- How’s your customer service? Are you meeting all your deadlines? Do you try to over-deliver on every project by offering good ideas and suggestions? Do you keep your clients in the loop when appropriate? Are you a pleasure to do business with?
- Are all your services still appropriate? Are all your services still right for you and your target market? Are there some services that you’re not currently offering but that would make sense to add to your roster?
If you answer these questions thoughtfully and carefully, you’ll come away with a pretty good idea of where you’re hitting the mark with your business—and where you may need to make adjustments.
Because just like a skilled mechanic diagnoses a vehicle, you can diagnose your business to keep its performance high as well.
IV. DESSERT: SWEET SUCCESS STORIES & TIPS
Cooking Up a Substitute Tip/Success Story (since I don’t have actual ones…)
Okay, so you no doubt saw my earnest plea for success stories for the E-PUB (AND all other courses as well, should your idea not fall into the “success-story” bucket).
Well, the following, though (hopefully) somewhat practical and entertaining, should give you some idea of how empty my coffers are (i.e., totally). Unless you want to see more gastronomic features (and I’ve got more), send ‘em on!
So, while it’s been a LOT quieter work-wise the past few months, I’ve taken advantage of the hiatus to cook a lot more. Kidding aside, yes, we’d all rather be gainfully writing, but it’s been really fun to explore another type of creativity in the meantime—one with rewards that may be different, though no less real.
I dusted off the Crock-Pot(R), Googled a few recipes, and ended up with an amazing pot roast, as well as—you’re gonna love this—baby-back ribs. The ribs especially were so incredibly easy, and the nonstop raves I got for both were deliciously gratifying.
Go on, say I’m “not a real cook” for largely going with the Crock-Pot, but, when you assemble a pile of ingredients in one big dish, cover it, turn it on, come back in 8 hours (and yes, maybe a quick step or two along the way) and have an amazing, aromatic pot of gold waiting for you, it’s almost magical.
Okay, maybe a bit of a stretch here, but I say the more well-rounded we are as people, and the more and more varied our life experiences are, the better writers we’ll be. And this shutdown has served up a pretty golden opportunity to expand our life-skills repertoire. For me, it’s been cooking.
No, I can’t clearly draw a line between making this mind-blowingly good turkey meatloaf (actually far more labor-intensive, and NOT a Crock-Pot beauty), and having more polished wordsmithing skills, but it’s truly helping me deal with the emotional ups and downs of this forced Timeout, and that makes it a worthwhile activity right there.
Maybe it’s not cooking for you, but something else. Whatever it is, and however you adapt, open yourself up to a different YOU—even if for just a while.