The 5 Favors You Must Ask From Every Client
“Gratitude is merely the secret hope of further favors.”
– François de la Rochefoucauld, French classical author
In Issue #182
- Guest Essay: The 5 Favors You Must Ask From Every Client by Sue LaPointe
- Resource Referral: Why These Five Favors Are More Important Than Ever
- Quick Travel Writing Tip: Save Everything
Guest Essay: The 5 Favors You Must Ask From Every Client by Sue LaPointe
“What? Ask a client for a favor? Are you nuts?”
Often, especially when you are just starting out, you are conditioned to do things for your clients, not ask them to grant you favors. But if you don’t make these five critical requests, you could be missing out on the biggest business building assets you could have for your new practice.
Asking a client for something (in addition to your fee) can feel a little awkward at first. This is especially true if you’re still working through issues about your value as a writer. If you feel like your time and talent aren’t worth much, it’s going to be hard to hold your head high enough to ask for anything.
Get over it.
They will understand – and most likely say yes – as soon as you get up the gumption to ask. Here they are:
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Favor #1: May I add you to my client list?
Many clients will never even ask to see your client list – especially if the bulk of them are online. But it’s important to be prepared. Whether you’re finding your clients through a site like www.guru.com, using a direct mail campaign, networking, or some other way, a solid client list can go a long way to establish your credibility. If you’ve got a brochure or a website, those are great places to create a list of your satisfied clients.You may have some clients refuse – generally only on ghostwriting projects where they’d rather not have their employer or publisher know they had help. But it never hurts to ask.
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Favor #2: Would you please share your results?
Big-time direct mail clients in particular want to see your copy conversion track record. They keep track of the effectiveness of every campaign they run, and are constantly looking to improve their conversion rate.As a freelancer, you won’t automatically be informed of these stats, because you’re not in-house. You’ll need to ask for them, and keep them. If you can show a high response rate to your copy, you’ve got a good shot at getting a copywriting project – online or off.
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Favor #3: Would you please give me a testimonial?
If your client is happy with what you’ve created, and especially if it performs well for them, they may send you a testimonial before you ask! Then, all you have to do is ask for permission to use it.But even if they don’t offer it, you can easily ask by saying something like, “As I build my writing business, it would be so helpful to my prospective clients to hear about your experience in working with me. Would you mind sending me a few words I can use as a testimonial?” You might even to write it for them and get their approval before you use it, just to make it easier for them to say yes.
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Favor #4: Would you please serve as a reference for me?
When you are getting clients through an online job board such as Guru, prospective clients can just look at your feedback and ranking to see how well you’ve done with other clients. Offline clients also like to see what you’ve done through another source than your own website. You want to have a happy client’s permission before sending prospects their way – and the odds of them getting calls is probably slim – but having them in place gives a new client confidence that they could call if they wanted to, which sometimes makes all the difference. -
Favor #5: Would you please pass my name along to anyone who might need some writing done?
It is the absolute best feeling to have a new client come to you because another client referred them to you. It’s an honor and a privilege for someone to think that highly of your talent and skills that they’d put their own neck on the line to recommend you. It’s also one of the fastest and easiest ways to grow your business. (Monica’s note: You might even consider giving them a discount on their next project if their referral ends up in a paying contract for you.)
If you remember to ask these five favors, your client list will blossom and grow – and along with it, you’ll build the thriving writing business of your dreams.
Sue LaPointe is currently the #2 ranked writer on Guru.com and author of Working Writer Happy Writer : How to Build a Thriving Writing Business from NOTHING.
Once again, I feel like Sue wrote the book I would have, if I’d taken the time to do so. The secrets to her success on guru.com, and the lessons she’s learned along the way, are all here. They are worth their weight in gold if you take them to heart in your own journey to success. I think Sue’s path is very realistic and replicable – read the book and see if you agree. Sue also has a free newsletter you can receive — visit www.workingwriterhappywriter.com and request your free subscription to Write Happy! which is full of great tips for building a successful writing business all your own.
Resource Referral: Why These Five Favors Are More Important Than Ever
There’s no ignoring it…times are getting tighter. This doesn’t mean there is less opportunity – but it does mean that more people are looking to make more money. The little things you do to build your business go much further in economic times like these.
There are more ways to give yourself an edge – and Bob Bly just put together a very useful report that we think new copywriters in particular will appreciate. It’s called Recession-Proof Business Strategies.
In this report, he acknowledges that an economic slowdown can be a problem for your business. But he doesn’t dwell on it. Instead, Bob shows you how to look at it as an opportunity to gain new clients and boost your sales.
Discover how you can master the marketing and sales methods that work best in recessionary times…so you can read the headlines all over today’s news and not spend any energy or time worrying about it for a change. Click here to find out more.
Quick Travel Writing Tip: Save Everything
Once again, I am on the road with my children – and everywhere I look there are opportunities for writing travel articles. I’m not in any exotic location – Atlanta, Georgia, where I have been many, many times over the years. But as I look at the hotel list of activities close by, I notice how many things there are to do here…each of them worthy of a quick travel article that could easily reimburse me the expenses of my trip.
Now, I didn’t leave with any intention of writing on or about this trip. But you never know…sometimes the muse for an article about a trip doesn’t show up until after you come home! Then, you’re kicking yourself for not remembering the kinds of details you would need to pull an article together quickly an easily.
Instead, keep a small journal with you to jot down your impressions, what you ordered for dinner, the name of the host who sat you and gave you free drinks at that little shack on the beach. And save everything – brochures, menus, local newspapers and real estate listings for the area.
Then, voila, in your file drawers, you’ll have everything you need to recreate your trip and turn it into an article that earns back some of the airfare it cost you to get there!