Sunday, April 15, 2007
5 Common Reasons You Don't Get Paid What You're Worth
| Q. I am setting up my business as a web designer. Recently a client paid me less than $300 for a website. I spent hours and hours creating a magnificent, eye-popping site that would cost $1500 at market value. My client just thanked me - she didn't even offer a bonus! I'm too busy with these low-paying jobs to go after the bigger assignments. A. Whether you're a business owner, corporate executive or independent professional, success means putting a value on your time - even when you feel, 'I've got time -- so why not?' Mistake #1: Confusing down time with extra time. The Fix: You finish a project early. Or business is lighter than usual this week. Spend the extra time to market yourself for new projects, not tinker with current clients. If you're working for someone else, use the time to make yourself more marketable. Mistake #2: Donating time to people who can pay. . The Fix: Donate time to nonprofit organizations who can't afford your fees. Before beginning get agreement that you may use this project in your portfolio, along with a signed testimonial on your website. Occasionally you can offer a deal to a high profile client who will publicize your efforts. Submit an invoice with the full price and mark your deduction as a discount. Make sure you'll get more than a vague promise to 'drop your name everywhere.' Mistake #3: Assuming clients understand your business. The Fix: Communicate options. 'Here's what a $250 website looks like. Here's what a $2500 website looks like.' When clients are new to your service, they rarely know the going rates. And they may not realize you'll accept a bonus and rejoice in a testimonial. Mistake #4: Forgetting to set boundaries. The Fix: Explain exactly what's included in your basic fees. Changes? Questions? Setting up the web hosting and domain name? Scanning and uploading photos? Fixing a spelling error? Mistake #5: Thinking small. The Fix: Learn what would it take to move from $250 to $2500 jobs. Maybe your own website screams, 'I'm cheap!' Maybe you need to pitch larger accounts with bigger budgets. Practice saying aloud, 'That will cost $500.' Then work your way up to saying, 'nine hundred dollars' without choking on your own words. In the end, it’s about priorities. What’s the best use of your time at this hour, this day and this week? More: See my Time Manangement Makeover Learn more. |
Labels: entrepreneurship, getting paid what you're worth, pricing, setting priorities, time management
Friday, March 16, 2007
Two sides to a customer service story
Recently someone sent me this story, which he considered using in a classroom setting for an MBA program: "Suzanne" grew tired of retirement. She started part-time work at a greeting card Shop. One day a customer asked for something that was not in stock. The new part-time employee took the customer’s name and phone number and promised to let her know when the item became available. A few days later the item arrived. Suzanne phoned to let the customer know she could stop by the store and purchase the item. The phone call was made from the employee’s home because she had inadvertently taken the note with the customer’s name and phone number home in her jacket pocket. The next day the customer came to the store and not only purchased the item, but also purchased other items for a total of over $100. Upon learning about the employee’s actions, the store owner threatened to fire her if she ever again phoned a customer from her home. She stated, “This is company policy and you should have known it.” So what's the moral of the story? Is the store owner short-sighted and stupid? Sure, the owner appears stupid because she seems to emphasize policy over profits. But she's also considering liability. She's thinking, "OK, this time the employee called from home on a business call. What if Suzanne decides to start a home business? Will she take home a list of names and numbers? "And I assure my customers I respect their privacy. If my employees take numbers home, what kind of assurance can I give them? What if Suzanne's teenage son finds a list and decides to prank-call everybody? Suzanne won't be liable. I will." Not likely. But unfortunately many of us have learned to think this way. And even more unfortunately, I believe it's necessary. |
Labels: business owners, complaints, customer service, entrepreneurship
Monday, March 05, 2007
Business getting busy? 3 tips to help
3 Strategies for Busier Businesses I’ve been working with a web designer, Katy Martin, on and off for the last few years. I found her on Rent-a-Coder when she was willing to do a lot and accept a little. Alas, I’m not the only one who finds hidden treasure. Now Katy’s juggling more clients than she needs. And she wants a life, too. Being busy comes from adding more clients or committing more time for intensive marketing. Either way, your “How I Work” page lets you combine time savings with client satisfaction. Your page answers 3 client questions. (1) How much advance notice do you require? Recently I asked Katy to redesign my business card for what seems like the millionth time. “Sure,” she said, “I can do this.” But when? I’m not her only client this week. How about, “3 days notice to start a card, 7 business days to schedule a website.” For phone or live consultations, 24 to 48 hours has become the standard cancellation notice for everything from massage therapists to medical services. Design and writing professionals need a kill fee – an amount that will be surrendered if your client cancels mid-project. (2) What’s your turnaround time? For my own copywriting service, I’ve learned to ask for 10 business days for a single sales letter. I used to promise 5 days or less. But now I’m busier. I have no idea how long it takes to design a website or a business card. But if the designer needs one, three or five business days, I need to know. Jill Chongva, the VA who publishes my ezine, needs a certain number of business days to create HTML and distribute the ezine through my shopping cart. Lots of variance across projects? Give a range – just let your visitors know if you’ll need hours, days, weeks or even months. (3) Getting started. As you get busy, even a get-acquainted call represents an investment of time – an opportunity cost, as accountants say. I recommend offering a paid small sample of your work. For copywriting, it’s a diagnostic project. For consulting, it’s an hourly call. My system allows clients to deduct the cost of the initial call if they move on to a bigger project. We both win if we achieve the client’s goals in an hour or two. Don’t want to charge for the first call? Give prospects a task -- a series of questions, a mini-project or a special assignment – to complete ahead of time. Bottom Line: You can always help out a favorite client or finish a project early. But clients will be happy to comply when you refer them to your page of policies. Those who don’t will go elsewhere and often that’s a happy ending, too. Please email me if you’d like contact info for Katy or Jill. My ezine gets distributed through my shopping cart – the most essential element of online business! Learn more here. |
Labels: business, entrepreneurship, time management
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
[Copywriting Tips] Generating Copy?
Q. I just saw a pitch for a content generator to create copy for my website. I don't like this idea because I believe my website should be written in my own authentic voice. Don't you agree? A. Well, yes and no. There's something called a headline generator that many copywriters use to create headlines. You have to feed the software good ideas but I've been surprised at the quality of output. I also get clients who are concerned that, if I write their copy, their sites won't sound like them. Sometimes you want to write with your own voice, but for home pages and sales letters, it's not necessary. Standard style and standard phrases actually are more effective. A good copywriter will sound authentic rather than sales-y. That said, I'd want to know more. Frankly, I'd rather see someone use a content generator than go to a discount site (such as Elance or RentaCoder) and hire a $20-$35-an-hour writer. Those writers sometimes are very good, but sometimes they plagiarize. You have to be very careful. It is a problem because hiring a good writer is very expensive. If you're on a budget you'd do better to get some coaching and learn how to do it yourself. To reprint this post, please be sure to make no changes and include this resource box with live links: Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., coaches and writes copy for service professionals who want to increase the marketing potential of their websites to attract clients and increase revenue. Website: http://www.copy-cat-copywriting.com Free Report: 7 Best-Kept Secrets of Client Attracting Copy. http://www.makewritingpay.com/subscribe.html |
Labels: client attraction, content, copywriting, entrepreneurship, website marketing, writing
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
[Internet Marketing Tip]Say Good-by to Downtime with Information Products
| Who else is ready to say good-bye to downtime? Let's face it: we all have slow seasons. Nobody's calling. Your email inbox remains empty. You feel frustrated. But when you have a series of information products, you always have business. I've made sales on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas. For a list of my ebooks, see http://www.cathygoodwin.com/books.html During slow seasons, you update your ebooks and revise your sales copy. You send out articles and study ways to attract visitors to your sales pages. Maybe you get ready to write another ebook. You have a very demanding, hard-to-please 24/7/365 client. You. No ebooks yet? Start here. (1) Choose a topic. Ideally your topic will be
(2) Make sure lots of people are searching for ways to solve this problem. Use overture.com and wordtracker.com to see if anyone's searching for your topic. (3) Develop a list of twelve tips you offer to solve your reader's problem. Each tip should be written in the form "Do X...so you can..." Each tip becomes your chapter heading. Example: You decide to write, "How Entrepreneurs Lose Weight and Keep it Off," subtitled, "How to Resist the Call of the Refrigerator When You Work Alone at Home" Your tips might be:
As you can see, I am not an expert on this topic. In fact, I just might be a candidate for your book, if you or your client has just the right expertise. (4) Under each chapter heading identify at least 3 takeaways you'll offer, along with relevant benefits. (5) Draft the sales letter. Yes. You saw that correctly. Draft the sales letter before you write the book. (6) Decide how readers will buy your book. Your shopping cart can be set up for immediate downloads. Or you can use Clickbank to advertise and collect money for you. (7) Write the book in straightforward, simple, dynamic style. Use lots of white space on the page. Develop the promises you made in the sales copy. (8) Transfer to a PDF file with a table of contents. You can use Word but I use Acrobat for the security features. (9) Make final tweaks to your ebook sales letter and post on your website. (10) Write at least 5 articles to promote your book on the Internet. Some authors just use parts of each chapter. Now get ready for for the ka-ching of your virtual cash register. If you're hearing nothing but silence, revise your sales letter . And join the "no more downtime" club with a lifetime membership Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., helps service professionals who want to maximize revenue potential of their websites. Visit http://www.makewritingpay.com. Download the 7 best-kept secrets of client attracting websites. http://www.makewritingpay.com/subscribe.html |
Labels: copywriting, e-books, entrepreneurship, information products, internet marketing
Monday, December 18, 2006
Copywriting to promote yourself 5 ways
Monica, a very competent businesswoman, was explaining her new website. “The headline will be my slogan,” she said confidently. “You know: the part that goes, ‘More impact when you speak, every time.’” Ouch! Definitely not the way to go. Naturally I’ve disguised the details but Monica’s not unusual. You’ve got at least 5 ways to brag – all different. (1) Your slogan usually appears near your logo on your website, on your business card and (often) in your elevator speech. Your slogan should reflect the benefits you offer your clients, not your own uniqueness. I once saw a slogan on a truck, “We know everything about lumber.” My response: “So…why should I care?” Better: “We use wood to make your home look beautiful.” Ali Brown’s “Boost business with your own ezine” does the job. So does Michael Port’s, “The guy to call when you’re tired of thinking small.” I’ve used “Promotion with professionalism” and, “If your website isn’t making money while you sleep, we need to talk.” My current career slogan: “From career breakdown to career breakthrough.” (2) Resource box statement. When you send out articles to promote your business, you need a short signature block – 5 to 7 lines – to conclude your article. You’ll need a brief sentence summarizing your uniqueness, such as: “Mary Jones helps high-earning professionals lose their credit card debt and gain financial security in six months or less.” Some professionals opt for a simpler version: “Bob Smith helped over 200 authors publicize their books to increase sales” or even, “Jane Doe has been helping corporate executives manage their careers since 1992.” I recommend a sentence rather than a phrase because resource boxes get chopped when your article gets published. The expert here is of course Alexandria Brown the Ezine Queen. (3) Irresistible freebie. To motivate website visitors to sign up for your ezine, ecourse or podcast, you need a gift they can’t wait to download. Go for broke with this one: if it feels over the top to you, it’s probably just right for your readers. Typical titles refer to a number of critical or essential tips. “Secrets” sounds corny but it still works. I’ve had considerable success with “7 best-kept secrets of client attracting copy.” Others might be “How to avoid the 5 deadly mistakes made by career changers.” Tip: I encourage my copy clients to begin a website copywriting project with the freebie. It’s a good way to get in touch with your clients’ pain. (4) Headline. Your home page needs a killer headline that motivates readers to keep reading. We could spend a whole article on this topic – in fact, whole books have been written about headlines. Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero wrote: "Copywriting: The Secret Weapon Your Competitors Hope You Never Figure Out How to Use!" Learn more! (5) Elevator speech. Designing an elevator speech resembles creating copy for your website: you focus on the target and demonstrate your benefits. A new book on elevator speeches that’s worth a look. The author lives here in Seattle and I’ve heard her speak: Give Your Elevator Speech A Lift I don’t recommend trying to economize on promotion by using the same concept for all 5 bragging opportunities, although you’ll find this formula applied successfully to packaged goods marketing. Purina Pet Foods has a wonderful trademarked slogan, “Your Pet, Our PassionTM.” They use it on everything from their website to ads. We’re different. |
Labels: business, clients, coaching, copywriting, entrepreneurship, ezine, internet marketing, promotion, start-up, website marketing
