I remember when I first started copywriting, I had two major problems.
What the hell to say to clients I was trying to land, and what the hell to say to them once they were on board!
Like a dog chasing a car - what do you do with it when you actually catch it!
This is probably quite familiar to you if youâre also new to copywriting, and it can be a tough one to crack.
You donât want to come across as an amateur, but you havenât got a clue what to say to sound like a professional.
Apart from answering the standard âtell me about yourselfâ question youâll invariably get asked, itâs a good idea to try to steer the conversation without, of course, coming across as overbearing.
Notice I said steer and not dominate, more of that in a moment.
And there are a couple of techniques you can use to do this.
Thatâs what weâll discuss in this newsletter.
Plus:
An important announcement - Iâm making your life as easy as possible.
A funny - letâs end on a high.
Two ears and one mouth
Going back to the sales training I received more years ago than I care to remember, there are several things that still stick firmly in my mind (thatâs how good the training was).
One of the mantras that got drilled into me was âyou have two ears and one mouth - use them in that proportionâ.
Now what does that mean, and how does it relate to steering the conversation.
You should listen at least twice as much as you talk.
People love to talk about themselves, and a skilled salesperson encourages them to do so.
This is good. If people are talking about themselves, youâre picking up information. Information you can use to develop the case for the product you want to sell.
Thereâs an old myth that a good salesman has the gift of the gab (i.e. talks a lot) but beware. A salesman who talks without listening first is on dangerous ground.
His prattle will be irrelevant to the needs, wants, and desires of his potential customer and heâll seldom make a connection that leads to a sale.
On the other hand, if he steers the conversation in the right way, his chances of closing the deal multiply exponentially.
How does he lay the groundwork?
By asking questions.
Itâs just the same in copywriting
Weâve already said it can be hard to know what to say to a potential or new client that will convince them you know your stuff, itâs a big problem when you first set off as a Copywriter.
However, getting to know your clientâs business, their aspirations, and how their customers tick is vital to a successful copywriting collaboration.
The best way to tackle this is to develop a client questionnaire that sets out a series of the most important questions you need to ask new or potential clients.
Thatâs what I did in my own copywriting business, and Iâve used it to make $1,000s - it has been a bedrock for me.
So, what does such a client questionnaire look like?
Letâs talk about that next.
Client questionnaire structure
Your client questionnaire should typically come across as friendly yet professional - I like to use the âletâs get to know each otherâ approach. Keep it low-key.
Start with an introduction that should include:
Thank them for their business - adjust to suit the situation
Tell them the purpose of the questionnaire - get a handle on their business, their value proposition, and their target customer
Tell them how long it will take to complete
Assure them it will get your collaboration off to a great start
Tell them youâre there to help and they should contact you if they have any questions
The body of your questionnaire:
This is where we get into the meat and potatoes. A well-thought-out and designed questionnaire, with the right questions, will set your potential customer thinking.
The thought process should be âwow, this is good (relevant) stuff - NOT oh, what a bunch of âboring questionsâ.
Your client should be able to appreciate the value of doing this exercise immediately and understand that doing so will be an asset to his business.
The questionnaire should help solidify the thoughts floating in his head and deliver a clear perspective on what his business is, what it does, and what he wants to communicate to potential customers.
It should be a document that creates an aha moment!
Hereâs some of what youâll want to tease out in your client questionnaire:
Target audience
Outline of an ideal customer
Current and future customer expectations
Primary value proposition
Core offer
Benefits to customers
What has been most effective so far
The problems you solve
Competitors
How are you better
and moreâŠ
Number of questions
20 questions are more than enough BUT they must be the right questions phrased in the right way! I would never suggest more than this number, but once you have your questionnaire written, you can adjust as you see fit.
Get your client questionnaire on point and youâll stand head and shoulders above your competition every time. My client questionnaire has been instrumental in the success of my own copywriting business.
Other uses you may not have thought of
Obviously, you would send a (new) client questionnaire to a fresh client you are about to write the first piece for, but it has a myriad of other uses that may not seem obvious at first:
Send to potential clients even when youâre quoting - edit accordingly, how professional does that look?
Never be stuck again - always have the right questions on hand to ask (now you know what the hell to talk about).
Use as a prompt - face to face or online.
Edit to suit multiple situations - be creative here.
Outshine your competition - they seldom do this.
So, you need a client questionnaire -whatâs next?
Itâs obvious from the above that a good quality client questionnaire is going to make your life as a Copywriter soooo much easier.
Iâve given you the basics of how to create one, and you could go ahead and knock one up for yourself. If you decide to go that route, I hope my guidance helps.
If this all sounds like a lot of work (it can be), here comes a âPlan Bâ aka the easy route.
As they say on all the best cooking shows âhereâs one I prepared earlierâ.
Read onâŠ
(Officially) Announcing the CopyHero shop!
Well, Iâve finally gone and done it.
Itâs an idea Iâve been mulling over for some time now and it ties in beautifully with my intention of getting you guys up and earning as paid Copywriters - AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
Iâm putting some of my best templates, eBooks, and cheat sheets into a single resource that you can go visit to pick up just what you need most.
No need to buy a $500 copywriting course, pick up the assets you need for a few bucks, leave behind what you donât.
And yes, there IS a new client questionnaire in the shop. Itâs so important, it was one of the first things I added!
My questionnaire template contains 20 of the most pertinent questions you can ask any client (new or potential) and will instantly elevate your value in their eyes.
Go visit the CopyHero shop and browse around.
The shop is brand new, and I want to get it rolling, so if you decide to purchase anything at all from the shop, email me at copyhero@lesblythe.com and Iâll send you ANY second item from the shop absolutely FREE - remember to tell me what you want!
copyhero.gumroad.com
How can I help YOU specifically?
Itâs my intention to build out the CopyHero shop extensively over time. What do YOU need, what can I add that will help solve a problem for you?
Again, email me at copyhero@lesblythe.com and Iâll build the asset for you and include it in the shop.
Youâll be helping others as well!
Funnies
I hope you enjoyed this edition - look out for more good stuff coming to your inbox soon!