A reader asks:<\/p>\n
here’s a question from one of the babes in the\u00a0copywriting forest (stuck to the bottom of your boot):<\/strong><\/p>\n
So I’ve written a few email campaigns.\u00a0<\/strong>
\nA few sales letters.\u00a0<\/strong>
\nEven had a little success…<\/strong><\/p>\nBut I really have no idea how to quote a client who has asked for a\u00a0VSL that’s the equivalent of 11 pages — 7,500 words.<\/strong><\/p>\n
I suspect I’m cracking the “bigger” leagues here…<\/strong><\/p>\n
But clueless and wondering:<\/strong><\/p>\n
“how would Ben Settle quote this job?”<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
What the hellz.<\/p>\n
I’ll take a whack at it.<\/p>\n
Here are my not-so-humble thoughts on it:<\/p>\n
You have to take your “copywriter” hat off, and put your “salesman”\u00a0hat on. It’s ironic\u00a0how well some\u00a0copywriters can pitch but suck\u00a0out loud at selling. They can quote John Caples’ test results\u00a0chapter by chapter and verse by verse. They can recite Gary\u00a0Halbert’s newsletters backwards while juggling flaming torches\u00a0riding a unicycle. They can rattle off dozens of A\/B split test\u00a0results as easily as if they’re ordering a burger at McDonalds.<\/p>\n
But when it comes time to SELL?<\/p>\n
Crickets.<\/p>\n
Humbug, I say.<\/p>\n
Anyway, what to quote?<\/p>\n
That’s entirely up to you.<\/p>\n
What are you worth?<\/p>\n
And besides that, if I were you I’d start asking that client some\u00a0questions. Like, why did they contact you? What happened when they\u00a0hired other copywriters? What were the results? What’s the big\u00a0“bottle neck” in their results? What kind of numbers do they need\u00a0to be profitable, and what happens if they don’t make those numbers?<\/p>\n
And so on, and so forth.<\/p>\n
Probe.<\/p>\n
Dig.<\/p>\n
Root around.<\/p>\n
Give them a vision.<\/p>\n
Then, take that info and sell them<\/span>.<\/strong><\/p>\n
Only then a pricing jedi will you be.<\/p>\n
BTW, this is one reason freelancers should be emailing. Email the\u00a0right way and clients come to you. Price is rarely an issue. And,\u00a0many times they are 85% pre-sold on you out the gate.<\/p>\n
My best clients were on my list.<\/p>\n
Saw me demonstrate my stuff each day.<\/p>\n
And, I was (by their own admission) their only choice.<\/p>\n
See how that works?<\/p>\n
Check out the “Email Players” newsletter here:<\/p>\n