Attack in the Other Direction

“The secret to achieve true success is found in your daily routine."
– Author Unknown

In Issue #162

Editor’s Note: CP Issues 158 and 160 got some people thinking. We’ve heard varying opinions on if or when it’s time to throw in the towel when you’re trying to build or run a copywriting business. So today’s issue comes from a couple of readers with two different perspectives. I think you’ll find little gems in their words that will help guide you in the direction that is right for you.

Here are two quick notes before I let you go…

Regrettably, there was an error in CP Issue #160. The correct link for Ilise Benun’s Art of Self-Promotion mentoring program is: www.marketing-mentor.com. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Main Essay: Attack in the Other Direction
by Jane Garee

The last couple of CP issues really struck a chord in me. As a self-employed entrepreneur, I completely understand the feeling of financial insecurity that prompted Mindy (CP Issue #158) to go in search of “reliable” income. And then there was the question in CP Issue #160 of when to throw in the towel. Seems like insecurity and waves of doubt are going around these days.

I know it’s all too easy to lie around the house in your pj’s, staying close to the Kleenex for your next crying jag and soothing your frayed emotions with Little Debbie snack cakes. Oh wait, that’s me…

Maybe you engage in similar behavior or maybe you are one of those blessed souls who cope with stress by working out and building homes for those less fortunate. Hey, whatever works for you.

One thing I do know though, as an “unapologetic salesperson,” the best activity you can engage in is activity that puts the power back into your hands. Whether you are in the throes of thinking you need to find a “real” job (like writing isn’t?!) or are ready to throw in the towel, allow me to point out a few things before you make any rash decisions.

First, financial security is an illusion. Truly.

For the last several years, a huge portion of my money has been derived from various aspects of the real estate market. Guess where this is going? Can you say “stress” spelled r-e-a-l e-s-t-a-t-e m-a-r-k-e-t c-r-a-s-h?

As if this wasn’t enough, I live in South Florida, proudly one of the leaders of real estate devastation in the country. Woo-hoo! Did I experience frequent bouts of nausea, disbelief and despair? You betcha. Did I start to feel the semi-panic state of “I need to get a full time, career job with a guaranteed salary?” Sure. But then I realized that while most of my friends who are self-employed were feeling the same thing, my friends who had these so called “real” jobs with “guaranteed” salaries were either getting laid off or were in mortal fear of being laid off. They weren’t experiencing anything different!

There’s no such thing as permanency in the world of work. Never has been, never will be. So that made me realize, if my ship goes down (which it won’t) at least I am the captain. I can go to sleep every night knowing that I do everything I possibly can to ensure I weather whatever life storms are heading my way. (I worked in corporate for quite some time and I never really knew if the owner of the company was able to say the same thing or not and this was someone who had control over my future.)

Second, if you want as much control over your future as you possibly can, know this; you cannot control results, but you can control activity. You see, whether you survive, thrive or die is all about your activity.

Revenue is generated when you sell and sales is all about numbers. Keep your activity high and you will get results. Meet as many people as you can, network as much as possible, hand out business cards like they are going out of style.

Turn what most people see as a challenge into an opportunity. Find out how you can help other people boost their business in this current economic climate. Be perceived as the person who knows somebody who knows somebody who can get the job done and your phone will ring off the hook!

Not everyone that calls will need your services, but remember, we’re playing for big numbers here to increase your odds of winning. Get people to knock on the door of your “house” because you’ve got what they need and I promise you, your business will begin to improve, not to mention your disposition. Don’t believe me? What’s the first rule of Vegas? The house always wins. Of course they do! It’s always all about the numbers.

Finally, become a long-term strategist and realize there is always more than one way to skin a cat if you’ve got the heart for it. (It’s just a saying. Please don’t write me or Copy Protégé any nasty emails about cat abuse. We all love cats, okay?)

There is a Marine story that I absolutely love (I’ll apologize in advance for not being able to know for certain where this came from. I’ve heard it affiliated with WWI, WWII and the Korean War. The research on it is interesting, but finding something conclusive has been sketchy)…

The U.S. Marines were marching towards what they believed would be an offensive position. Upon arrival, they realized that through a series of events, they were significantly outnumbered and a different course of action was needed. The General began marching his troops technically into retreat. There was a great outcry from the soldiers. “What are we doing?” they demanded. “We’re Marines! Marines don’t retreat!” The General’s reply was swift and emphatic. “Retreat??!! NO! We’re attacking in the opposite direction!”

There you have it. If failure wasn’t an option, how would you attack your business differently?

What about that towel? I say grab it but don’t throw it in, TWIRL it! It’s rally time. Grab that towel, raise your hand in the air and twirl that thing for all it’s worth. The opposing team of life may look bigger and badder, but you’re the one with the grip on the towel and that final buzzer is a long way off.

Resource Referral: Nervous About Making the Leap? Here’s a Net!

If you’re considering making the leap into copywriting full-time, don’t do it without some sort of safety net. Get AWAI’s Making the Leap – A Practical, Hands-On Guide to Launching Your Successful Freelance Career. It will make your transition far easier than if you try to go it alone.

How? It gives you an easy-to-follow 8-step plan for getting your career off the ground. It’s a simple, workable plan and it’s inexpensive—a combination that’s hard to beat.

Reader Feedback: A Plan for Succeeding Should Include a Plan for Not Succeeding

Before we put this topic of when to throw in the towel to bed, Mike offers some ideas you might not have considered:

“Lisa’s story really yanks at my insecurity strings. I’m well into my fifth year of freelance copywriting, and of those five years, only the first one was "slow." I’ve had two years in which I broke six figures and, although last year I didn’t quite make it, I still made more money on paper than I made in my highest salary years at my corporate job. This year, after the first quarter, I’m back on track to hit $100,000, as long as my clients continue to avoid the recession.

But last year, I almost gave up. The reason is that cash flow, as you know, is everything. The money was good, but notice that I said I made more money "on paper" than I made in my best salary years. The money doesn’t come in the way a regular paycheck does, and cash on hand got to be a big issue with me. Not to mention paying my quarterly taxes, etc.

But I didn’t give up. I fell behind on a lot of bills, and I have been doing a lot of explaining to my mortgage company and utilities, but I toughed it out because my pipeline is full. What Lisa needs to remind herself of, though I’m sure she’s already doing so, is that copywriting is a business. If she doesn’t have one, she needs to create a business plan. And her business plan should contain a plan for going out of business, when and if that becomes necessary.

The great thing about AWAI is that it really stresses the positive of making a living as a copywriter. But it’s easy to forget that as freelancers, we are also entrepreneurs. One of the best pieces of advice I got when I went out on my own was from a friend and colleague who asked me if I knew how far I was willing to push through the lean times before closing my doors…and if I knew what the procedure for closing them would be.

It never occurred to me at that point that a plan for succeeding in business should include a plan for not succeeding. But when I thought that part through, and added it to my business plan, I felt better. I had the added security of knowing exactly how far I could go when there was no cash on hand, when the phone wasn’t ringing, and the world seemed to be passing me by. Funny thing, once I had that plan, I realized I didn’t have to use it.

I had a lot of medical bills last year, and that really took a bite out of my income. Plus paying my own insurance, thinking about my own retirement funds, etc., really made me aware of how much of life’s expense an employer takes care of without us even realizing it. But there are tradeoffs to that.

The best thing about copywriting that she should also remember is that it can be done part time. She doesn’t have to "throw in the towel"…ever. If she needs a regular paycheck for all of the reasons she states, she can get one, and still keep working on her copywriting career in her "spare" time. If the client base grows, then she says good-bye to the employer again. It’s like a big paper bag that expands and deflates as the situation changes…kind of like the bag you breathe into when you hyperventilate! (haha).”

Mike Jordan-Reilly
Jordan-Reilly Associates

Thanks for being so willing to share and help others, Jane and Mike!