|
|
Viewing Get All the Clients You Can HandleGet All the Clients You Can Handle
|
As copywriters, we are skilled in writing excellent copy that provides results. However, attracting clients requires more than just writing skills - you also need personal skills, selling skills, and business skills to attract clients. By Ray Edwards Nearly all copywriters worry about finding clients. I often speak at seminars and conventions. Copywriters approach me all the time with the same question: 'How can I get more clients?' This seems ironic that a copywriter and marketer should have a problem getting clients. Yet, it is the #1 problem for both new and experienced copywriters. The good news is that it is easy to get all the clients you can handle. I have learned, though, that acquiring clients takes an entirely different skill set than we usually operate in. So, if you're having a problem getting new clients, don't beat yourself up. As copywriters, we are skilled in writing excellent copy that provides results. However, attracting clients requires more than just writing skills - you also need personal skills, selling skills, and business skills to attract clients. The main skill required for acquiring clients is sales. I've found that an excellent resource for increasing your sales skills is Jeffrey Gitomer's website, www.Gitomer.com. Jeffrey is the premier sales trainer in America right now. Follow this simple 5-Step System for Getting More Clients: 1. Develop your marketing site. Your website needs to market you. Write some copy that sells you. Don't make your own copy your lowest priority, like most copywriters. Take some time and make it the best copy you can possibly write. After all, you are your most important client! 2. Choose a sales process that works. Do this as though you were doing it for your best client (which you are!) Develop a plan to bring clients closer to asking for a quote. You can choose from several different tools, all designed to get your client's attention. Your lead-generation page may include an autoresponder, a forced opt-in page, even (ethical!) opt-in bribes to gain attention and clients. 3. Screen your clients. There are several ways to do this. One of the fastest and most effective is sticker shock. By posting my rates on my site, I weed out clients who should go somewhere else. Don't get me wrong - I like people, and I enjoy working with them. However, not everyone can afford my rates. It is a fact that as your copywriting skills improve, you will be flooded with more jobs. If you get more work than you can handle, you have two choices - you can either politely refuse jobs (because of a lack of time), or you can raise your rates accordingly (to reflect your increased skills). Of course, this assumes that your work offers a great rate of return for your clients, which will be the subject of a different article. 4. Use follow-up marketing. Use it every single time. Your autoresponder sequence should theoretically have no end. 5. Network and attend seminars. The best thing you can do for your business is to seek new faces and opportunities by networking and attending seminars. Last year, I spent about $50,000 on travel expenses to attend seminars. Of course, you don't need to spend this much! Search out a few key events, concentrating on those that will be packed with potential clients. Make it a priority to get there. In my opinion, Armand Morin's Big Seminar is one of the best places for copywriters to meet and greet new clients. More information can be found on his website at www.NewBigSeminar.com. Incidentally, these five steps will work if you are a web designer, marketing consultant, or any type of service professional. Use them and watch your client list grow! About the Author: For an inside look at the techniques of a sought-after web copywriter, check out the blog of Copywriter Ray Edwards. Claim your free podcasts, marketing tips, videos, and free copywriting advice. Article Source: 1st Rate Articles - http://1stRateArticles.com |
|