Comments on: The Friday Freelance Quiz: Can You Really Tell a Client Why They Should Hire You?

By: Tom Chandler

Tom Chandler — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 18:01:07 +0000

Ryan: My wife tells me silence is an option I should take far more often.

By: Ryan Healy

Ryan Healy — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 13:43:11 +0000

Your comment about “hard-hitting” copy “that sells” made me laugh. :-)

Another suggestion: learn what to say (your “pitch”), but don’t say too much. Silence is often the best close.

By: Tom Chandler

Tom Chandler — Mon, 21 May 2007 19:13:29 +0000

Good comments! Since most of us don’t pitch very much, we don’t get enough “real world” practice to get better in a hurry.

Practice helps, especially for us shy writer types who are used to editing our thinking on paper…

By: Michi

Michi — Sun, 20 May 2007 00:01:21 +0000

This is a great post. You are right, most of us ARE better on paper. It’s hard to know what to say to people when they start to question you. After all, YOU know you are good, so they should know too, right? Thanks for the tips you provided…they will be really helpful to me next time a client starts asking tough questions!

By: Tim Colman

Tim Colman — Sat, 19 May 2007 13:22:46 +0000

Toastmasters! http://www.toastmasters.org/
Also — a great and under utilized resource can be your local retired executive — network!
If you don’t know one- the SBA does.

Your main point abut getting out there and getting practice solving problems is key. Most people are pre occupied with themselves too much to be of service.

Practice actually gets you in position to get your worries about yourself out of the way so you can be of service to others. What better way to practice humility?

best fishes,

Timothy

By: Muzzle

Muzzle — Sat, 19 May 2007 07:23:59 +0000

I agree with you Tully. That statement Practice is definitely the key is the truth.

By: Kyle Tully

Kyle Tully — Sat, 19 May 2007 06:20:36 +0000

Practice is definitely the key, I’ve been sparring with another copywriter a few times a week – taking it in turns to pitch each other.

We ask hard-hitting questions…
We’re deliberately difficult…
And if either of us says anything even remotely “iffy”, we jump on it.

My pitching skills have improved more in the last few weeks than in the previous few months.

By: Mike Sieber

Mike Sieber — Fri, 18 May 2007 22:05:38 +0000

Thanks for the post, Tom. As a beginner, I really struggle with marketing myself, especially when it comes to differentiating myself from other writers. Your advice is great and I’m going to practice over the weekend.

By: Roberta Rosenberg, The Copywriting Maven

Roberta Rosenberg, The Copywriting Maven — Fri, 18 May 2007 20:43:22 +0000

Wonderful post, Tom! I always tell my copy coaching students to lead with their experience when pitching a new client. Even if they haven’t been writing a long time, they have deep knowledge in X, Y and Z that will make a big difference in the value they bring even as a young-in-the-biz copywriter.