How To Become A High-Paid Marketing Consultant Or Copywriter - FAST! Part 2
By: Dan Lok | Posted: 18th August 2005
How To Become A High-Paid Marketing Consultant Or Copywriter - FAST! Part 2
Copyright 2005 Quick Turn Marketing International, Ltd.
Question: Dan, if you were starting out and had no
references or a substantial resume, how would you go about
finding paying customers for your services?
To answer your question, I'll assume you're a junior
copywriter or marketing consultant.
When I first started out and didn't know a soul, I'd open
the yellow pages and cold-call the business owners. I'd go
to networking events and try to get business. (Sucks!)
Sometimes I'd do a little 'switchcraft' and call the
companies who sent me direct mail letters.
Before I had a track record, I wrote a lot on a
results-oriented basis. This is also know as a 'sink or
swim' or 'thrive or starve' approach.
I'd write an ad or sales letter for a client, with the
guarantee that if the ad didn't work, I didn't get paid. If
the ad did work, I'd receive a flat fee.
Once I'd proven myself as a credible, conversion-oriented
copywriter, I switched to requesting compensation based on
a percentage of the sales.
Ultimately, I changed to a flat fee, plus a percentage.
It wasn't easy. It's a good thing that 'thin is in' because
I've been through a lot of lean and hungry months. I got
ripped off so many times I can't even count them.
Understand... I'm not saying this is what you should do,
but that's what I DID.
In the beginning, you have to be pretty much shameless and
willing to check your ego at the door.
Be prepared to take on any kind of job for any kind of
price.
You want to make yourself damn busy. You want the law of
supply and demand to work in your favor.
Your goal is to build up a portfolio of satisfied clients
as quickly as humanly possible.
If it soothes your wounded ego, think of the process as
'earning as you're learning.' By taking a wide variety of
jobs, you'll not only hone your skills a hell a lot faster,
you'll also build up a reputation as someone who's 'earned
his chops.'
And don't forget to collect testimonials.
Success breeds success.
Ultimately, just like me, when you're in demand, you'll be
able to name your own price and do business on your own
terms. If a prospect has a problem with how much you
charge, you don't need to have a problem with them.
All you have to say is, NEXT!'
Don't worry, if you're good at what you do, you don't have
to 'settle for less.' (If you're not good at what you do,
and aren't striving to make yourself better, you have no
business being in business.)
Here's another plus about providing good value: your
clients will tell other people about you. You won't have to
go looking for clients; clients will come looking for you.
That's the position you want to be in…at the head of the
'receiving line,' picking and choosing your clients.
Your skills are in demand. The business world needs good
copywriters. And good copywriters are rare. So the pro's in
this profession are always in high demand.
As a marketing consultant or copywriter, you're better off
if you don't have to engage in actively persuading
prospects to hire you. You're in a much more powerful
position, of course, if they come to you.
An excellent way to make yourself the 'go-to' writer that
everyone wants is to establish yourself as an expert.
Writing a book, creating a website and speaking at events
are all excellent ways to gain a reputation as 'Miss
Information' or 'Mr. Know-It-All.'
----------------------------------------------------
Dan Lok is known as "The World's #1 Website Conversion
Expert", with a proven track record of selling over $25.7
million dollars of merchandise and services. Dan has
resuscitated copy that was previously in "critical
condition" and helped his clients to double and triple
their conversion rates… some as much as 417%!!! More than
200 websites have been "Lok-ed" and loaded for Internet
action. Go to: http://www.WebsiteConversionExpert
About the Author
Occupation: Webmaster
Dan Lok is known as "The World's #1 Website Conversion Expert", with a proven track record of selling over $25.7 million dollars of merchandise and services. Dan has resuscitated copy that was previously in "critical condition" and helped his clients to double and triple their conversion rates
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Tags: business owners, job, supply and demand, law of supply and demand, conversion, direct mail, hell, reputation, jobs, ego, yellow pages, cold call, marketing consultant, mail letters, resume, networking events, quick turn marketing international, international ltd