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So and So Doesn't Understand The Value Of Copy...

by Cam Connor
20 replies
And he thinks it's all created equally, and not really much different from content. Is it worth convincing them, or do you just move on? Just wanted to hear how other people handle this, since lately, it seems that very few people understand the true value in good Copy
#copy #understand
  • Profile picture of the author shawnlebrun
    Originally Posted by Cam Connor View Post

    And he thinks it's all created equally, and not really much different from content. Is it worth convincing them, or do you just move on? Just wanted to hear how other people handle this, since lately, it seems that very few people understand the true value in good Copy
    Cam... for me, if I have to educate a client on the value of copy... it's probably not a good sign, and there's probably going to be issues... and the biggest one is getting paid what you're worth.

    Seriously... most clients who you'd want to work for, they're business owners... and business owners understand that sales drives business.

    And what drives sales? selling... whether in print, person, video, skywriting, etc...

    So, personally I always move on if I even sniff out the client doesn't appreciate or respect what good copy can do.

    I think you'll find the same... that if you have to educate a client on why they need to use good copy, you're just setting yourself up for hassles and headaches.

    You CAN'T earn a decent fee if the client doesn't appreciate good copy.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mark Pescetti
    Move on...

    Never try to convince people that copy is valuable to thie business. Ever.

    The fact is...

    Unless you grasp how powerful emotion is in influencing your decisions, you'll NEVER understand copy.

    And people who think "content" is just as good as copy, don't have a clue about emotion.

    Mark
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  • Profile picture of the author ronrule
    ^^

    Good answer from both of the above posts, and I agree ... some clients will never understand the value you bring. I remember pitching an $8,500 website to a customer once and he asked about a TV ad he saw for web.com where he could get a site with no upfront payment and $20 per month - and if I would price match it. I thanked him for his time and left.

    If they don't understand the value of what you bring, you'll waste more time educating them on why they should be paying you.
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    • Profile picture of the author OutOfThisWord
      The biggest mistake I made early in my career was to try and convince business owners of the profit value of direct marketing.

      And even when I was successful, the campaign still did not produce because they didn't answer the phone, didn't follow up the leads or worse, ignored the leads all together.

      So to echo the advice already given, find a better client and these days with real time split testing, the number of knowledgeable clients is way more than it used to be.
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  • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
    You already know the answer to this question, don't you?
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    Brian McLeod
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    • Profile picture of the author Cam Connor
      Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod View Post

      You already know the answer to this question, don't you?
      Yea, I pretty much did, I was just hoping against hope someone might've found a successful way to quickly educate people, but that would've been a miracle really. lol

      And thanks for all the answers guys, at least I have some more confirmation... sometimes it's just annoying how many people DON'T understand the value of good copy, sad really. Even a lot of IM'ers on this forum and elsewhere are clueless... try selling a WSO about Copywriting and see what happens... Nothing.
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      • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
        Originally Posted by Cam Connor View Post

        Yea, I pretty much did, I was just hoping against hope someone might've found a successful way to quickly educate people, but that would've been a miracle really. lol
        It's a fool's errand...

        Every battle won just begets a new battle, and the money is guaranteed to be pennies on the dollar for the value you're providing.

        "Pearls before swine" comes to mind.

        Better strategy would be to approach successful direct marketers and offer to help them with their campaigns - write email sequences, split-test versions, presell copy for feeder sites... prove your value to someone who recognizes it's worth and you'll be a lot happier & better compensated for it - and you'll learn more from them, too.

        Be humble, but be confident and assertive and you may just find someone like you is just what they've been wishing they had available to them.

        Good luck,

        Brian
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    Great answers from everyone.

    Let me clarify.

    When you are QUALIFYING your prospects, ie. before you accept anyone as a CLIENT, you are looking for people who will:
    • treat you well
    • pay you well
    • value what you offer.

    If any ONE of these three factors is missing, it ain't a fit.

    You want prospects & clients who THINK LIKE YOU DO. Otherwise it's a waste of energy and will quickly lead to frustration. Does that sound like a good client to you?
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  • Profile picture of the author KingOfContentMarketing
    If you want to educate, consider the approach of marketers like Daniel Levis and Craig Garber, where they share their philosophy, establish authority and pre-qualify clients with valuable content.
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    • Profile picture of the author Cam Connor
      Originally Posted by joe golfer View Post

      If you want to educate, consider the approach of marketers like Daniel Levis and Craig Garber, where they share their philosophy, establish authority and pre-qualify clients with valuable content.
      No, I don't really want to educate, I just wish all clients would come pre-educated. lol
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  • Profile picture of the author max5ty
    The more value a person places on their product, the more value they place on the marketing of it.

    If you're dealing with IMers that pump out cheap info ebooks they limit their product value to a percentage of the cheap traffic they can attract. They themselves have no fantasies about the value of their product...they see it as a way to make a couple extra bucks. Why would they spend a lot on marketing?

    Big time players know how to attract a larger audience and are more inclined to spend more on marketing because they see their product as having value.

    You should market yourself to attract your ideal customer.

    If you're attracting the wrong customers you need to rehabilitate your personal marketing strategy.
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  • Profile picture of the author shawnlebrun
    This is why when I'm doing any kind of marketing for copy services... I'll set up ads and copy so that it resonates with my ideal prospect. I want it to go right over the heads of those who have no idea what copy, or good copy is.

    Simply by writing your marketing in a certain way, you can attract your ideal prospects and not even be understood by those who are less than ideal.

    I can't ever remember writing an ad or letter that said "and now here's why you need to have copy on your site"

    BUT, if you can write so that higher end marketers and business owners can just "sense" you're someone they want to work with... you don't have to worry about educating anyone.

    I've landed a bunch of clients just from articles and content I wrote... they'd contact me and say "that thing you wrote... I can tell I need you to do my copy", etc...

    and that's simply from writing to attract your ideal prospect... and no one else.
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  • Profile picture of the author KingOfContentMarketing
    Good point--like Bruce's sales page is educational/informational, but he's mostly establishing authority and expertise more than educating clients.

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  • Profile picture of the author Mark Pescetti
    If your copy is positioned correctly...

    It should be pre-qualifying your prospects on auto-pilot.

    So...

    If someone who doesn't understand the value of copy (or the value of you) finds his or her way into your email, something's off in your funnel.

    Talking to just anyone who has something to sell will inevitably attract bottom feeders - who don't GET it.

    If you want to play with the big boyz, your copy has to target people who don't need convincing that copy works.

    They just need to know YOU are the right copywriter.

    mark
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    • Profile picture of the author Alex Cohen
      5% of business owners know the value of direct response copy.

      95% don't.

      (Percentages guessed at for purpose of discussion.)

      Someone or some process educated those 5%.

      Yes, the 5% are lower hanging fruit.

      But don't think of the 95% as an impenetrable fortress that can't be scaled. Persuasion techniques exist that can be used to sway them.

      Alex
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      • Profile picture of the author ThePromotionalGuy
        Cam,

        Customers never understand the value of what ANY business places value on and nor do they want to be educated by the business about value. It doesn't matter what industry you sell in. You will always have a high majority of the buyers devalue what it is that business does or sells.

        Correct value marketing will always add value when there is none. Correct value marketing can increase value for one unit but down play value for a different unit. An example of this is auto manufacturing. Mass produced vehicles (Doesn't matter what make) costs around $2500-$3000 each to produce.

        From Fords to Mercedes cost to mass produce these vehicles is the same. So why do we pay more for Mercedes than Ford? Correct value marketing!

        Outside of correct value marketing you will never be able to explain value clear enough, let alone educate the buyer. That's because value is based on 2 differently held and personally engrained perceptions. What the buyer perceives and what the seller perceives.

        What uproots the buyer's perception that the value is higher than what they thought will always come in the form of a third party. i.e. commercials/marketing or others not associated with the business doing the selling.

        Here is a benchmark for you.

        If you call for a service (any service) and they quote you a price and you don't understand why the price is X when you think it should be Y for whatever your reasons are, then that business or industry isn't marketing their value correctly to you.

        If a business owner calls you for copywriting service(s) and you quote a price and they don't understand why the price is X when they think it should be Y for whatever their reasons are, then you are not marketing your value correctly to them.
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  • Profile picture of the author cjp214
    Originally Posted by Cam Connor View Post

    And he thinks it's all created equally, and not really much different from content. Is it worth convincing them, or do you just move on? Just wanted to hear how other people handle this, since lately, it seems that very few people understand the true value in good Copy
    Everyone else who responded before me covered this thoroughly, but I just wanted to chime in with a resounding "Move On!"

    The clients you want to work with know and understand your value. Or maybe they start out thinking you're worth "X" and you end up convincing them you're really worth "Y," but they are in the same ballpark.

    When you have prospective clients trying to lump you in standard article writers, that's when you know it's time to jump.

    Every no is another opportunity to land a better, well-paying client.

    Good luck,

    Corey
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    • Profile picture of the author Celvin
      The sales professional in me really would cringe at the thought of abandoning an opportunity without a fight. Some of the easiest sales I've had has started with a customer that didn't understand the value of the product or service I've been offering. If I'd sense that the person I was talking to was somewhat easy to lead and driven by logic as opposed to emotion. I'd read that as "convince me and you have a deal".

      However, in this context, I agree with the others. I'd look for someone who'd look at this as an investment right off the bat. They would both be easier to work with and would be more likely to put your copy to good use.
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      • Profile picture of the author EricRand
        Copywriting always concerns increasing perceived value of a product to its buyer. Even product created by our super intellect. :rolleyes:

        After I've done my best self-promotion-- AND received my results-- I repeat:

        Some will....Some won't....So what....Someone's waiting.
        (Not original, but very useful when you run into that guy just doesn't "get it".)

        Otherwise known by the acronym: SW SW SW SW

        Best to all-

        EricRand
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