Looking for a FRENCH copywriter français !

[Tony M.]

Hi,
My company is looking for a freelance copywriter who can improve our squeeze page and sales letter for a specific video product.

He must write in French, and his work will be tested against the control.
Our budget is $ 2,000 for these two web pages or we can arrange a royalty-based contract.

Do you know any French copywriter or any website that we can trust with our business on this project ?

If you need any more information, please send me a message by clicking the Private Message link.

[Daniel Scott]

Tony,

$2 000 is not a lot of money for one letter... let alone two. Especially for someone living in France.

Try Damien Bonnet at maverickmarketingartist.com - he also writes copy. I haven't seen his work (and even if I had, my French is terrible) but from discussions we have he seems pretty competent.

Your other alternative is Michel Fortin, who I believe is French Canadian, but you'd need to multiply your budget by about thirty (and give him royalties) before he'd even look at it.

-Dan

[The Copy Nazi]

Originally Posted by Daniel Scott

Tony,

$2 000 is not a lot of money for one letter... let alone two. Especially for someone living in France.

Try Damien Bonnet at maverickmarketingartist.com - he also writes copy. I haven't seen his work (and even if I had, my French is terrible) but from discussions we have he seems pretty competent.

Your other alternative is Michel Fortin, who I believe is French Canadian, but you'd need to multiply your budget by about thirty (and give him royalties) before he'd even look at it.

-Dan

You forgot me - I'm in Paris.

[IWebGirl]

Hey Tony,

I can help. I am not a freelancer copywriter per se but I use it for my business. Canadians are great because they probably know the art of copy writing better than anyone French but they write for an audience that is used to being pitched to death.

If you want to reach the European French speaking countries, you will need to adapt your style a bit. Some people get really annoyed by American aggressive selling style.
Depending on your target market you will need also to adapt your graphics. I think videos are also extremely well perceived in French markets...

Anyway, I can review your sales letter once it is done to see if it fits the European market.
One of my businesses is to help French companies develop their customer base on line. I also sell to Americans quite well so I think I can give you valuable feedback because I know both marketing cultures quite well. Send me a PM when you are ready.

Take care,

TheIWebGirl

[Biobâtir]

"Canadians are great because they probably know the art of copy writing better than anyone French but they write for an audience that is used to being pitched to death.

If you want to reach the European French speaking countries, you will need to adapt your style a bit. Some people get really annoyed by American aggressive selling style."

Well, I need help! If you want to help me, send me an email and see what we can do with my sales letters (that probably suck!)

Thanks!

Seb

[pickthat apple]

Good point, IWebGirl. It does help a lot to present yourself accordingly to local customs in a different Country.

[IWebGirl]

Thanks pickthat Apple. I see more and more sales letter that sounds from Quebec (Canada) rather than France. I consider them seperate markets.

[Tony M.]

I have been in touch with a few French marketers these days, so if somebody finds this topic and wants to get in touch with a French marketing expert / copywriter, just send me a private message on this forum and I'll send you their contact info.

Some of these people are brilliant and are already building great business momentum in French speaking countries !

Cheers,
Tony

[translationsguy]

I tried to send a PM but received the message, "To be able to send PMs your post count must be 50 or greater."

I have a sales letter in French that is not selling very well, and I need to hire a French copywriter to read the sales letter and critique it to see what might be wrong with it.

The version in English does very well, but there must be something about the French version that is repelling the prospects. Although my French language skills are okay, I am an American and am not able to really see the sales letter through the eyes of a French person.

If anyone is able to help me, please either PM me your contact information (I can receive PMs) or post it here in this thread.

[MikeHumphreys]

Originally Posted by translationsguy

I tried to send a PM but received the message, "To be able to send PMs your post count must be 50 or greater."

I have a sales letter in French that is not selling very well, and I need to hire a French copywriter to read the sales letter and critique it to see what might be wrong with it.

The version in English does very well, but there must be something about the French version that is repelling the prospects. Although my French language skills are okay, I am an American and am not able to really see the sales letter through the eyes of a French person.

If anyone is able to help me, please either PM me your contact information (I can receive PMs) or post it here in this thread.

Try contacting Mal Lambe (screen name Metronicity) as he's located in Paris.

[The Copy Nazi]

Originally Posted by translationsguy

I tried to send a PM but received the message, "To be able to send PMs your post count must be 50 or greater."

I have a sales letter in French that is not selling very well, and I need to hire a French copywriter to read the sales letter and critique it to see what might be wrong with it.

The version in English does very well, but there must be something about the French version that is repelling the prospects. Although my French language skills are okay, I am an American and am not able to really see the sales letter through the eyes of a French person.

If anyone is able to help me, please either PM me your contact information (I can receive PMs) or post it here in this thread.

Run it past me my son. My French isn't brilliant but I'm married to a very smart French girl - she'll soon sort you out. I'll PM you. à bientôt, The Copy Nazi.

[translationsguy]

Originally Posted by Metronicity

Run it past me my son. My French isn't brilliant but I'm married to a very smart French girl - she'll soon sort you out. I'll PM you. à bientôt, The Copy Nazi.

I just sent you an email, to the gmail address listed at your site. Thanks!

[The Copy Nazi]

After reading the French version I sent you a longish email on this. Basically you are trying to do a literal translation from English to French and it doesn't work. Common English expressions like "foot in the door" don't translate. So the copy ends up being clumsy and a turn-off for French people - who are very proud of their language.

I tracked down the original version in English - which you should have given me a link to BTW - and there is one quite obvious difference - you're using a talking avatar in the English version whereas the French one has a rather ordinary-looking photo of the author. So they are not really going head to head are they - nonwithstanding the language issue.

As another example of fractured idioms - you can't say "Dirty little secrets" in French in this context. That does not translate literally. It's a "faux pas" - wrong. "Un sale petit secret" - "a dirty little secret" - is totally inappropriate. Better used to describe something nasty or some kind of kinky sex like "dogging" (Google it).

Any French people reading your salesletter are going to wonder "If the salesletter is this bad - what's the product going to be like?" So it's no wonder it tanked.

[jeanjacques]

Hi,

I'm a native french copywriter with 4 years of experience

I do accept some new customers
and i provide a special guarantee
on Conversion Rates ! (see below)

But

I don't accept every projects, see below if you qualify:

*You should have sufficient volume in order to run A/B or multivariate testing
*Your product should be geniunely helping people out/deliver value
*You have a french speaking customer support able to handle orders

The french market is growing
really fast and i'm sure you've
already heard about the first
mover advantage.

Here is the type of copy that i can provide you:

Squeeze page
Infoproduct Sales Letter
Product Launch Email Sequences
Adword Ads (your CTR will rock)
Past customer reactivation


I will advise you about the specificities and uniqueness
of the french market helping you to
avoid pitfalls of a "translated" sales letter.

I'm not cheap

But conversion rates will be the only judge

I work with a retainer + a commission on sales


PM now if you need more information

Cheers,

Jean-Jacques

[chiggy]

Originally Posted by IWebGirl

Hey Tony,

I can help. I am not a freelancer copywriter per se but I use it for my business. Canadians are great because they probably know the art of copy writing better than anyone French but they write for an audience that is used to being pitched to death.

If you want to reach the European French speaking countries, you will need to adapt your style a bit. Some people get really annoyed by American aggressive selling style.
Depending on your target market you will need also to adapt your graphics. I think videos are also extremely well perceived in French markets...

Anyway, I can review your sales letter once it is done to see if it fits the European market.
One of my businesses is to help French companies develop their customer base on line. I also sell to Americans quite well so I think I can give you valuable feedback because I know both marketing cultures quite well. Send me a PM when you are ready.

Take care,

TheIWebGirl

I desperately need a Frech copywriter. could you pm me? or my email is o.chiggy[at]gmail

[chiggy]

Originally Posted by Tony M.

I have been in touch with a few French marketers these days, so if somebody finds this topic and wants to get in touch with a French marketing expert / copywriter, just send me a private message on this forum and I'll send you their contact info.

Some of these people are brilliant and are already building great business momentum in French speaking countries !

Cheers,
Tony

Hi! I'd like to have a contact if it's still possible. I can't MP yet, so I'll grateful to get it on email o.chiggy[at]gmail

Thank you!

[Alexandre Valois]

Originally Posted by Metronicity

After reading the French version I sent you a longish email on this. Basically you are trying to do a literal translation from English to French and it doesn't work. Common English expressions like "foot in the door" don't translate.

Unless you're French Canadian, in which case it's quite possible to have "un pied dans la porte"... but don't quote us, really, we have no idea what we're talking about

[jeanjacques]

Hi,

Just my 2 cents about "Common English expressions like "foot in the door" don't translate."

It's true that you need to be aware of english idiomatics but in this precise situation you can really translate "foot in the door" by "pied dans la porte"

Cheers !

[The Copy Nazi]

Originally Posted by jeanjacques

Hi,

Just my 2 cents about "Common English expressions like "foot in the door" don't translate."

It's true that you need to be aware of english idiomatics but in this precise situation you can really translate "foot in the door" by "pied dans la porte"

Cheers !

As I said - I don't think there's a literal translation of "foot in the door". "Pied dans la porte" doesn't cut it. Maybe in French Canada but not in mainland France. foot in the door - WordReference Forums

[jeanjacques]

Originally Posted by Metronicity

As I said - there is not a literal translation of "foot in the door". "Pied dans la porte" doesn't cut it. Maybe in French Canada but not in mainland France. foot in the door - WordReference Forums

@metroncity

Sorry but i live in France mainland since 30 years now, i don't want to troll about this but "pied dans la porte" is used everyday and everywhere.

It has been used for decades by door to door sellers, or by academics talking about persuasion techniques, example in this book "petit traité de manipulation à l'usage des honnêtes gens" (it's the french equivalent of Cialdini's best seller, not a translation but an original french books written by phd's)

"La technique du pied dans la porte" is a classic of insurance salesman.

The forum thread you re referencing to is not saying that "pied dans la porte" is an idiomatic neither.

no offense here, but i'm just trying to clarify things

[Doolder]

hmmmm. I'm native French born and raised in Paris where I've spent 80% of my life so far (28 years). I had never used or heard "pied dans la porte". It can be said I guess, but it definitely isn't "used everyday and everywhere". Many people apply it everyday and everywhere, I would agree with that, but most of them do it instinctively without knowing that what they're doing is actually called "pied-dans-la-porte".

[jeanjacques]

Hi,

Maybe i spend way too much time with salesmen or social psychologists

I'll let google speak for itself, there's more than 1,7 Millions of exact match results, you can see for yourself here

Google

the french wikipedia web page is also clear about this subject Pied-dans-la-porte - Wikipédia

You may also have a look at these two books written by academics

* Jean-Léon Beauvois & Robert-Vincent Joule, Petit traité de manipulation à l'usage des honnêtes gens, Presses Universitaires de Grenoble, 2002.
* Myers & Lamarche, Psychologie sociale, Broché, 1991


Enjoy

[The Copy Nazi]

Originally Posted by jeanjacques

Hi,

Maybe i spend way too much time with salesmen or social psychologists

I'll let google speak for itself, there's more than 1,7 Millions of exact match results, you can see for yourself here

Google

the french wikipedia web page is also clear about this subject Pied-dans-la-porte - Wikipédia

You may also have a look at these two books written by academics

* Jean-Léon Beauvois & Robert-Vincent Joule, Petit traité de manipulation à l'usage des honnêtes gens, Presses Universitaires de Grenoble, 2002.
* Myers & Lamarche, Psychologie sociale, Broché, 1991


Enjoy

Au contraire...the French Wiki page isn't clear about it at all. It says "Pied dans la porte" is the literal translation of the English expression but that it can also be translated as "doigt dans l'engrenage" - which I guess means "finger in the gears" or "finger in the cogs" - it's beyond my limited French. But whatever. My point is - it's not a common French expression. Maybe to a small bunch of French siding salesmen and psychologists but it's not in general usage. But it would be a good title for a French movie - don't you think? Then it would probably move into general usage.

(BTW it's snowing here in Clamart)

[jeanjacques]

Hi Metroncity,

You're right, that would be a great movie title !

(snowing here in the alps too, by the way if you're interested by a skiing session reserved only to french copywriters just send your PM )

Cheers