Copywriters: what terms do you give to clients?

How do you discuss projects with your prospects?

If you do it by phone or skype, you should have all this worked out before you send anything in writing. Should be an easy sign on the dotted line.

If you're doing it all by email, there can be resistance. But stay tough and say "This is how I work."

Many people require 100% payment up front. This gets money off the table and lets the writer concentrate on producing the best outcome.

I've usually worked for 50% down, 50% on completion. Leaves you open to being burned, but it hasn't happened to me yet. The key here is to have enough in the 50% down that you're OK with doing the work even if you don't make another cent.

Sometimes you may want to work for a percentage of the revenue your project brings in. This can be nice, because you get an ongoing passive income once the work is done; however, you must trust your client.

Write the terms directly in your proposal, in the body.

The response you ask for is for the prospect to get the project started by paying the deposit or full fee. That is how you know they agree with your terms. If they don't agree, they'll let you know. As I said above, though, it's best to have these things worked out before submitting your proposal. Nothing in there should be a surprise to the prospect.

I provide an "agreement" .doc file they can download from
my website and all the terms are listed there. When they
sign and return that document OR sends the payment then
the agreement is considered a go.

Service type agreements are very similar:

1. What I will do for you and when I will complete it.
2. What I expect of you--payment terms.
3. What will happen if we don't do what we said we will do.

50% downpayment is about standard in copywriting with
50% due at time of delivery of first draft. Some copywriters
ask for 100% upfront.

-Ray Edwards

For small jobs, Net 30 Days with no advance deposit required. It isn't worth the hassle of negotiating complex terms. For new clients, it helps set their mind at ease. If I get burned, I just don't do business with them again.

If it's a big project, I usually draft up a contract, pdf it, and send it over to the client.

I have a default contract that has placeholders for price and what is to be delivered.

In truth, having such a document does little, because if a client is going to default, he's going to default. If your business is good, taking a client to court is not worth the time nor emotional stress. However, it's nice to have a document with which you can reference in the case that you and a client have a disagreement.

In short, don't worry to much about the "terms" part of your relationship. Just maintain good relations with your client while focusing on your work.

Dan Kennedy covers terms & work frameworks in his course "Copywriting Home Study Course". The first two parts (about six hours) - Client Management and Client Attraction are all about this.

It's a bit painful to listen to him, as usual, but it's the best information you are going to find on this topic.

you should tell your clients that everything is on your terms and to pay you 100% upfront because you're so boss

I would prefer to use Skype text or messenger to talk terms with a client, as this allows me to get an instant response back from the person rather than having to wait a day or two for them to reply. I like the instant reaction which you can get through this medium when negotiating. The finalized version of the agreement can then be sent by email for verification or printed out as needed for reference.

Get a copy of Bob Bly's book, Secrets of a Freelance Writer. He has some sample contracts in it. It's a great book to review and use.