The only two words that clients “want” are in the next few paragraphs. As you read, I want your mind to figure out what they are before you read them. When you see them, I earnestly hope you say, “I KNEW IT!” and ultimately that will be your invitation to go do something about it.
This may be a bitter pill for some but many clients/customers have a PERCEPTION that writers don’t deserve much pay, writers don’t work hard, and writers are a dime a dozen. This is very deceptive and NOT MY PERCEPTION at all. In fact it is a myth.
Writers are the hardest working people on the face of the earth and we should be able to beat the living tar out of that perception.
What do Clients want? They want someone to Exceed Expectations. That’s it. How do we do that? Over at Every Dot Connects, Connie Reece says it’s about Starting the Conversation.
This may be a bitter pill for some but many clients/customers have a PERCEPTION that writers don’t deserve much pay, writers don’t work hard, and writers are a dime a dozen. This is very deceptive and NOT MY PERCEPTION at all. In fact it is a myth.
Writers are the hardest working people on the face of the earth and we should be able to beat the living tar out of that perception.
What do Clients want? They want someone to Exceed Expectations. That’s it. How do we do that? Over at Every Dot Connects, Connie Reece says it’s about Starting the Conversation.
Connie says: “My dad was a gifted salesman, I never once heard my dad use what could be called a sales pitch. Instead, he just talked to people. Struck up conversations.”
Think about it. Nothing happens until you talk to someone.
Writers are also sales people. Yes, we are. We sell our work and ourselves every day.
Drew McLellan gives some sage advice Your job as a marketer is not to sell. Your job is to help the customer want to buy. A distinct difference.
What better way than to talk to people. Have a conversation. Find out what they really want. Do they want you to be the myth-buster?
Think about it. Nothing happens until you talk to someone.
Writers are also sales people. Yes, we are. We sell our work and ourselves every day.
Drew McLellan gives some sage advice Your job as a marketer is not to sell. Your job is to help the customer want to buy. A distinct difference.
What better way than to talk to people. Have a conversation. Find out what they really want. Do they want you to be the myth-buster?
Write it down,
Carma
Amen, amen, amen! Just because you made an A in high school English does not mean you are a writer. Thanks for giving us writers our due, Carma.
ReplyDeleteAnd for pointing out that "writers are also sales people."
I took a side trip into publishing for about ten years, and one of the hardest things for would-be authors to get through their heads was that they had to be able to sell before they would be allowed to publish. First, you have to "sell" your book proposal to an editor. Then that editor has to "sell" your concept to an editorial committee. Then that committee has to "sell" the proposal to the marketing team, who can kill a book idea before it's fully hatched if they don't think the proposed book is marketable. Because the marketing team has to rev up the sales team, who has to pitch the book to distributors, who have to pitch it to bookstores (in no more than one sentence). And then finally, the bookstores sell the book to the customer.
All that starts with a writer who has an idea and the ability to sell himself/herself to the publisher. THEN you get to write the book.
Connie, sometimes I think it is hard for writers to sell their work because it is so personal. Our work is part of us.
ReplyDeleteWriters are in the business of marketing life. We must learn it well.
Thanks for your comment. I love your Blogabillies. :)