KickAss Copywriter

It’s Sunday — two days before the blessed event, when everyone in Christian-dom celebrates Jesus’ birth.

I’ve never read anything that proved when Jesus was born, but somehow I guess the scholars have concluded it’s true.

This is a rather peculiar time of year for me, as I claim neither Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Muslim-ism or any other ‘ism’ for that matter.

 But, I do enjoy the spirit of giving! 

And do you notice how everyone’s just a little bit nicer to each other, during the holidays?  (With the exception of pulling and tugging in the stores or fighting for the coveted parking places.)    J

I’m a normally-giving person, though I’ve tried to learn some tight-ass business tactics to survive – which aren’t part of my true nature, really.

Well, seeing that I’m always prone to becoming infected with the Christmas Spirit, during the month of December … I’ve also operated in that Spirit with my clients this month.

For instance, I drastically-reduced my fee to accommodate the budgets of two new clients this month.  And I also included much more than agreed to.  (I like to over-deliver.)

 Usually, my clients really appreciate the extras I provide!

But for these two novice clients, they simply didn’t see the value in all the extras I’ve given them.

Like instead of writing just one headline and sub-head, I wrote 4 or 5, so they can test them.  (Testing is crucial for online searches.)

And I provided the latest studies and best practices with this client … all of which was extra, yet vital to the success of his site.

 What other copywriter does that?  Or any other business person for that matter? 

Stunned, I realized that neither of these novice clients was able to appreciate what this meant in terms of ‘value added’ services!

So, these are some lessons learned to carry into 2008:

*  Never reduce my fee, in order to accommodate a client’s budget.  (If they can’t afford me, they can hire a junior copywriter.) 

*  Only provide them precisely what I’ve agreed to and no extras, since they can’t see the value.

*  Require the entire fee upfront, because some will even ignore the signed agreement to pay the other half upon final copy approval and not when his web designer gets it on his site.  (One just did that, too.)

Yeah, I know, I’m a woman.  We’re natural givers … 

but in the business world, maybe over-delivering weakens my value, rather than increases it.

In 2008, my business model is going to be …

I’ll give you exactly what you’re paying me for, and it’ll be high quality … but without extras.

I think this confirms the age-old adage that folks don’t appreciate anything that’s free.  We’ll see how my new resolve serves me.

http://www.kickasscopywriter.com

Where Mediocrity is Outlawed!

(But you only get what you pay for.)

It’s all over the news.  Every day we hear about more scams, frauds, lies and law suits.  Like the class action law suit, the second one this year, against Wachovia.

MortgageDaily.com had this to say about Wachovia today:

 “The Charlotte, N.C.-based company and two subsidiaries are being sued under the Truth in Lending Act for failure to clearly and conspicuously disclose in loan documents and disclosure statements that payments on ARMs, with payment options at the teaser payment or teaser interest rate, will result in negative amortization, and that the principal balance will increase.”

Ooops.  Minor detail.

And another one reported today from MortgageDaily.com:

 “Morgan Stanley Mortgage Capital Holdings has filed a lawsuit against Fremont Investment & Loan, charging the former sub-prime lender with failure to cure or repurchase 231 loans because of misrepresentations that drove down the value of the mortgages.

Another …

“Lehman Brothers Bank FSB has been sued by a Tennessee storage company, charging that the bank failed to honor rate lock agreements for a commercial mortgage of more than $3 million and failed to return a total of $186,500 in rate lock payments and other deposits.”

And it goes on and on, with other stories involving scams, fraud, misrepresentations, yada, yada, yada!

So, why am I talking about this?  Because I think there’s a BIG lesson here for everyone in business …

Do the Right Thing!

The right thing is very simple, really.  If I wouldn’t want it done to me, I shouldn’t do it to others.

There are a lot more conclusions to be drawn from the mortgage melt-down, but I’ll confine my observations today to just this one.

No matter how BIG a company gets, I believe the guiding principle should always be to ‘Do the Right Thing’ by our employees, stakeholders and customers.

Didn’t most of us learn this from our parents?  In school, didn’t everyone learn that cheating is not tolerated?  And, you get punished, when you get caught!

So, if doing the right thing doesn’t guide a business owner, doesn’t it make sense not to lie, cheat and steal out of the probability that you’ll eventually get caught? 

It takes a lot more effort to ‘undo’ a BAD story, and try to repair your reputation, than it does to keep your word, do the right thing and never have to worry about ruining your reputation in the first place.

But more than anything … it’s just the right thing to do, don’t you think?

http://www.kickasscopywriter.com

With a plethora of products and services just like yours, why should someone buy from you, instead of one of your many fine competitors?

Is it because your products are that superior?  Probably not, because most products (and services) have to perform the way they’re supposed to … or the companies are out of business sooner or later!

Is it because of your amazing offer or bonuses that buyers get when they buy from you? 

Well, a great offer is absolutely imperative and bonuses are a great inducement to get folks to take action right now – especially online.

So, is that the BIG secret?  Nope, not so fast!

How about your guarantee?  Now that’s another component that all savvy product marketers understand they MUST have, in order to make their prospects feel comfortable enough to buy, right?

 That’s right.  But, that’s not the real differentiator! 

All things being equal, then, what prompts the prospective customer to buy from you, instead of all the other clamoring voices out there, vying for his/her money?

Drum roll, please?  It’s YOU! 

You are who they buy from.  They buy from you (or Joe Schmo) because you have allowed them to see YOU … the real you.

And they like you.  They like the way you talk to them, the way you understand them.  You have humanized the buy-sell dance, elevating it from a cold, impersonal ‘give me your money and I’m off’ transaction.

So, I’m suggesting that whatever you’re selling, it is YOU that your prospects and customers are buying.  (After you take care of the basics.)

The question, then, is HOW are you presenting yourself to your prospects?  What is your personality?  What is it about you that would endear you to your prospects? 

Are you a bald man, with a blustering, commanding voice, who is hard, but fair?  Were you a high school drop-out, who picked himself up by his own bootstraps to create something to be proud of?  Then use that! 

Will it appeal to everyone?  No, but the ones it will appeal to will buy from you again and again.

People had rather buy from those they like than to buy from those they don’t like or don’t even know, wouldn’t you agree?

 Bottom Line:  In all of your advertising and marketing, make sure your personality comes through in everything that’s written or said about you.

http:www.kickasscopywriter.com