Student asks me: "What if I don't have a phone?"

Simple.

If he wants to get decent fees, he'll need to talk with his prospective clients.

Alex

Get a Google Voice number (mine was free, and I only have to use it something like one per year to keep it). Or pay to upgrade to Skype premium.

If you only do business over email, you're only going to attract cheap clients. Having a phone call is a way to legitimize yourself as a copywriter and the most efficient way to assess

1. What the client says he wants
2. What the client actually wants
3. How you can really succeed in in in the job

I get that phone calls are irritating - I'm a millennial, too. (And most of my clients are on the east coast, so I have to take business calls at 6am! Just try negotiating when you're still asleep sometime.)

But if he wants to attract the high-paying clients he wants (or at least should want), he'll need to get on the phone.

This thread from Jason is reason enough to justify learning to talk on the phone.

I echo Alex.

If his desired target market doesn't usually deal in cold solicitations via text, it'd be an exercise in futility.

And to my knowledge, most people pretty much hate being spam blasted via text message.

Just tell him freelance copywriting ain't as easy as all the internet makes it out to be. Tell him people who say it's easy are inevitably trying to sell him something. Tell him it's a JOB, like any other, and if he's not willing to do the "grunt work" it's not gonna work out for him (and might not work out even if he's willing to do the grunt work...)

He'll go running to work that's more sure and cushier -- which is good for our industry...instead of grabbing clients for $97 or $200, etc. (the kind of rates we see people quote on this forum when they're honest about what they're paying their copywriters these days...Not a good portent.)

This is how I do it.

I'm also getting nudged with international relationships to use whatsapp. I think you need a cell phone for it though.

I'm in no way downplaying the phone but I've had several
5-figure clients over the years that I've never spoken to--all
our communication done through email. Others I've done
using SKYPE chat but most of my business has been done
through email.

I think that if you have social media videos it helps to bridge
that credibility gap because the person sees, hears and "know"
you even better than a phone call would allow.

Also with email I have a record of the "conversation" that I
could refer back to later.

-Ray Edwards

Fear not you can do it without a dog and bone, telephone. Or even meeting or speaking personally to clients.

A while ago I helped out a friend. She desperately wanted to write copy but is very shy and introverted.

The very thought of "talking" to a client make her knees shake, her voice tremble and every fibre in her body wants to flee and run to the hills.

Did she make it?

Yes she did (I've rarely met a more committed, hard working and conscientious copywriter)

She made sure she became really, really good at the noble craft.

But I can hear you say - "How did she ever get clients?"

By using the "damaging admission"

"I hate talking but my goodness wait till you see my writing"

She's doing very well.



Steve

Anything is possible in todays world. I say more power to him!!

I don't mind talking but strategically, I do much better using the written word.

I tell clients...

'I am a better writer than a speaker. That's why I am a copywriter.'

They get that. And very few meetings are on the phone anymore.

Maybe I misinterpreted the question?

My understanding of it was he didn't want to call people so he was going to cold text people to solicit business.

I conduct the majority of my biz through text and email, but I do meet with them on occasion too. And keep in mind these are people I have MET before, that I KNOW from the course of doing business and going to networking things.

I don't think it's a sustainable relationship without some kind of human contact. Is that just me or am I crazy?

My first thought was that he is starting out with one hand tied behind his back, however times are changing...rapidly. I agree with other posters that you can get clients with email and Skype calls....but the whole point is that he doesn't like talking to others...so perhaps Skype is out of the window too.

To be fair he isn't totally out of the game. I called a utility company just this morning and was sent a text back with their reply (even though they said they would call). Okay, so I wasn't selling them anything, but I am just illustrating that text is no longer the exception. Dentist and GP reminders are often sent by text nowadays.

With the launch of the new iPhone 6 (who uses it to make calls?) I think he might be on to something. Just like door to door salesmen don't really exist any more (at least not where I am from).... maybe the art of actually speaking to someone over the telephone is on its way out too.

Personally, I think a follow up with a phone call is effective - but it all depends on the client.

At the end of the day he is selling his writing services, he just needs to make sure his sales letter does what it says on the tin.

PS Oh...and pray !

Hi Promotional Guy,

I'm Deaf and partially blind, don't use the telephone in fact I don't have one. But I do have a mobile for people to text me and email and have used instant chat on websites so easy to communicate with people.
I can understand where you're coming from implying that it's not professional to use text or even email to build a relationship with your clients. That is a little old fashioned thinking because of the variety of ways to communicate. These days a lot of businesses are using Skype you can do all sorts of things with it, it's ideal for me I can instantly chat as I can read without misinterpreting what's said in some cases I can watch the video cam and lip read the other person.

Now I'm not saying that the young man is me, with a legitimate reason not to cold call, many people are scared silly by that and need their confidence boosting . But they have to start somewhere don't they.

In any case I would have thought that in today's world truly busy business people don't want to be hassled by cold callers on spec at least an email they can reply at their convenience and arrange a talk how ever it is done (Skype) later.

Maybe I'm way out of line here, but the lack of a phone wouldn't be my biggest concern...

Why is he afraid to call people?

I mean how bad does this guy really want to succeed?

If he's too scared to talk to customers, he's going to have bigger problems down the road. He's going to hit glass ceilings on his income that will be impossible to break through unless he gets himself out of the way.

If he were my student, I'd literally tell him to go panhandle for the money for a phone. I've done that before. It's a good way to find out if they really have the "bada-bing-bada-boom" to succeed.

If they won't do that, they probably won't do the dozens of other things which they'll have to do later on anyway.

Phones are getting pretty old school... I always think it's strange when someone demands to talk to me on the phone... it's a weird request these days. lol

There's a difference between new technology and old technology, but that's not what that student's asking about. He's saying he doesn't like having live voice conversations with strangers. And it's not because he lost his vocal cords and has to be resourceful.

He's saying he wants to purposefully cut down the available tools down to his self-imposed, limited comfort zone, rather than developing himself up to the task and growing.

His next question will be, "can I write copy without selling?"

Most people, in order to realize results, have to in some way push beyond their comfort zone.

It sounds to me he is not comfortable with talking with people on the phone so he mask this discomfort he just text.

In life if we do not like to do something than we try to find another way. But if there is no other way and it must get done the we just do it. This kid needs to understand that something's you just have to do. Find the root of the issue and fix it.

Tell him to get one...LOL.

But, in all seriousness, you could suggest that he use a carrier pigeon with his potential clients. He'll certainly have a unique selling advantage...LOL.