You can turn your $200 fee to write a press release into $2,000 to
carry out an entire PR campaign simply by convincing clients to
invest in campaigns, instead of individual assignments. Campaigns
achieve better results and cost less in the long-term for clients,
compared to individual assignments. And, of course, as the
freelancer, you get paid much more for turning out a succession of
assignments that assimilate a successful campaign.
Here's how to multiply your writing sales by convincing clients to
invest in long-term campaigns, instead of short-term individual
assignments.
ò Know the short-term and long-term results. A client approaches
you to write a brochure. He may or may not know that his product can
also benefit from other types of promotional pieces, such as ads,
direct mail, news releases, websites, and so on, to sell his
product or service. Your job is to educate the client. The brochure
may be the first promotional piece in a consortium of promotional
pieces. Here, you must know the short-term and long-term view
results of the brochure.
The short-term results are the results the brochure will achieve
for the client; and the long-term results are the results the
brochure will achieve/contribute for the entire campaign. It answers
the questions, "How do the results of this brochure fit into the
entire campaign?" and "How can these results be strengthened with
other forms of promotional materials?"
Show the client how a campaign, that's comprised of a succession of
assignments, can achieve ù and exceed ù his expectations and
outsell and outdo the performance of a single assignment.
ò Use "tie-in" services. Whenever a client approaches you with a
single assignment, ask yourself what tie-in services can supplement
the single assignment. A news release achieves better results when
it's accompanied with a photo. And a press kit ù complete with
press releases, photos, brochures, and company information ù can
achieve better results than a single press release. All of these
extra tie-in services can turn writing a single press release into
multiple writing sales.
ò Offer the "concept to completion" benefit. Instead of pitching
yourself as a freelancer who can write newsletter copy, pitch
yourself as a freelancer who produces newsletters, from copy to
completion. You multiply your income by outsourcing parts of the job
and delivering a finished product, not a piece of the product. You
also can extend your "concept to completion" services by pitching
yourself as a marketing consultant, in which you make
recommendations to the client as to the best way to market the
newsletter.
ò Develop strong consultative skills. Besides selling your
freelance services, also offer consulting services. Clients pay you
to explain ideas, concepts, recommendations and turnkey solutions as
to the best way to achieve the results they desire. Consulting with
clients can lead to securing freelance work, since clients realize
you have the skills and expertise to undertake the task.
ò Know the future needs of clients. Clients come with present
needs ù and future needs. A client may hire you to write a
newsletter now, but they'll also consider you for future work if you
know what their future needs are and how to fulfill them. The
company may be ushering in a new product line, creating a new
division within the company, sponsoring a charity event, or creating
a website. All of these future events need a freelancer to do
promotional writing and freelance work. That's you. Your job is to
show clients how you'll address their future needs with solutions
that'll increase their profitability and/or productivity. This is
usually accomplished with a proposal through which you pitch
yourself as the freelancer who has the solutions to undertake the
future tasks.
ò Use proposals to secure work. Proposals are an inclusive
persuasion tool to convince prospects that you can increase their
profitability and/or productivity with your freelance services.
Proposals specifically show the client how you intend to achieve the
desired results, the time and costs involved, and why you and your
solutions are the best choices to boost the company's profits.
ò Adaptations. Any of your freelance writing services can be
adapted for websites, turning a single assignment into two
assignments. Get paid to write a press release or brochure, and then
get paid again to adapt the copy digitally.
ò Add-on services, such as desktop publishing services, marketing
consulting, compiling and selling media lists, and project
coordinating can help multiply your work and your income.
Brian Konradt is a former freelance copywriter and graphic designer,
and founder of FreelanceWriting.com
(http://www.freelancewriting.com), a free web site dedicated to
help writers master the business and creative sides of freelance
writing.
(C) 2004
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