Cruel Irony # 2: Half-Cocked Beats Perfectly Planned Every Time
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I have a lot of systems in place to help ensure that work simply falls into my lap and, when it does, that work goes smoothly and efficiently. To the outside observer, these systems seem intricate and well-planned. But that’s not the case… anymore.
It should come as no surprise that I am a writer. As such, if there’s one thing I hate, it’s a blank page. And, when it comes time to take on a new project, my natural inclination is to formulate a plan.
The problem is, I LIKE planning. I like imagining all of the what-ifs, the challenges, the potential roadblocks, and coming up with solutions for them.
Why is that a problem?
Action vs. Analysis
Because, if you spend all of your time planning, you’re not actually doing anything. And if you invest a lot of time in your plan, then when the unexpected happens (and the unexpected ALWAYS happens), it is disappointing. It is discouraging. And it can render the rest of your beautiful plan completely obsolete.
Another reason it’s a problem is that it gives you an excuse. A reason NOT to move forward. It’s a little something known as Analysis Paralysis. You haven’t gotten your plan ironed out yet so, of course, you can’t act on it.
Of course, this problem is really the symptom of two bigger problems: fear of failure and a belief that screwing up is the same as failing.
Rapid Prototyping
While my systems seem well-planned and intricate… the truth is they are working smoothly now because I ironed out the kinks as I grew and developed the systems… not before.
I got tired of planning and planning and planning some more… only to end up tossing that plan in the trash after an unexpected hiccup. Instead I borrowed a page from some very innovative companies (groups like IDEO and Google), called Rapid Prototyping.
The basic philosophy is this: you have an idea, you build a prototype, you push it into the water to see if it sinks or floats. If it sinks, you fix it, and push it into the water again. And again .And again. Until it floats. Then you see if you can make it float better.
Build it. Launch it. Tweak it as you go.
A lot of ideas just won’t float no matter what. And at some point you just have to cut your losses. But many will. The smooth-running, flawless systems I have in place today are mostly the result of five or six years of tweaking them and shoving them off the pier… and staying flexible enough to make sure that this “failure” isn’t simply a glitch with an easy fix.
The Ultimate Success Formula
Success isn’t something you plan for and execute. It’s something you dig for. It’s a dirty, ugly, messy process. But ther IS a formula… a method to the madness (Full Disclosure: I didn’t come up with this I stole it from Tony Robbins):
- Determine what you want and commit to getting it.
- Take massive action
- Observe what’s working and what isn’t, and change your approach accordingly.
Look at that again. Success isn’t a linear path. Decide what it is you want, and get moving forward. If it doesn’t work, try again… just don’t try the same thing over and over and over. If something isn’t working, figure out another way and try that.
Just don’t give up.
The REAL Perfect Plan
Now, all of this said, I do have a planning process that I use:
1. I take an index card, and I write what I want, is as much detail as I can, on one side. On the reverse, I write five to ten general milestones toward achieving it.
2. I take out a new index card, and write down the first milestone, and five to seven action steps that will get me there… including one thing I can do RIGHT then. Something to start building momentum and begin feeling the sense of accomplishment that comes from completing steps on the way to something bigger.
3. If that doesn’t work, I flip it over and create a new set of action steps. If that doesn’t work, I get a new card and try again.
4. When I reach that milestone, I get out a new index card and make a rough plan of attack for milestone 2.
5. I keep at it until I’m done.
At any given time, my entire plan for this goal, whether it’s a personal goal or a business project of some sort, is contained entirely on two index cards, with the knowledge that I’m free to throw them away and start fresh with two completely new index cards if I need to change my approach.
There is no Analysis Paralysis. There is only “is this working, or isn’t it?” And then I move forward accordingly.
This is how I’ve approached my business from day one. It’s how I’ve build up a client roster that’s in the three digits. It’s how I’ve built systems that let me concentrate on the things I enjoy, and not get bogged down in the details “running the business.”
And it’s how you’re going to make a successful go of this freelancing thing.
Cruel Irony #1: To Get More Sales, Stop Selling.
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I’ve been at this for ten years now. If that decade has taught me anything, it’s that a handful of cruel ironies govern your success. By which I mean, often, things you expect to work for you can actually hinder you, and vice versa.
One of these cruel ironies is this: “selling” yourself rarely leads to new clients.
Which seems odd, since I advocate cold-calling— especially when you’re just starting out or
times get lean. In fact, I built my business early on by cold calling.
But only AFTER I stopped making SALES CALLS.
An effective cold call isn’t “phone spam;” it’s merely introducing yourself to someone who could use your particular talents. I’m not talking semantics here.
Your cold call should literally be, “Hi, I just wanted to introduce myself and ask if you ever use freelancers to help with your marketing or corporate communications. Great. Here’s a link to my site, if you ever need me. Thanks.”
A cold call is the beginning of a conversation… that will lead to a relationship… that will lead to work. If it takes more than 90 seconds, and they’re not doing most of the talking, you’re talking too much.
So, how do you get new business without selling yourself?
If you’ve read the two previous posts, you’ve seen how you can get business without selling… through acts as simple as introducing yourself in the right circumstances and even firing a client. With the right approach, simple interactions can result in sales without going all “used car salesman” on people.
I walked into Starbucks and walked out with a Mocha Latte and 2 New Gigs
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There are 3 Starbucks within 5 miles of my house. I know, nothing new there, right? Your house is probably no different. I used to think this is overkill, but recently something happened to make me see this phenomenon in a whole new light.
I Once Was Blind…
I’m no stranger to these establishments. The three coffee shops are practically my satellite offices. Two maybe three days a week, I’m getting caffeinated and spending a couple of hours away from the home office.
And I’m not alone. At any given time, there are a handful of us busily clacking away on our laptops. On this particular day it’s more crowded than usual, and two guys at a table next to me are chatting while they work. I try to mind my own business, but one of them cracks a joke and I catch myself laughing out loud in spite of myself.
This starts up a conversation. The two guys are friends and both freelance designers. We exchange cards and keep talking. By the time I leave, they have each hired me to help with individual projects.
…But Now I See
On the way home, it hit me… Starbucks have become the de facto second office for countless freelancers of all stripes. Not only that, but I know more than a few in-house and agency designers and CDs who head there to “get away.”
In other words, every Starbucks is a networking goldmine of potential clients. Do I expect every trip to end in a couple of new jobs? No. But you can bet I’m going to be much more open and gregarious from now on, and make a point of meeting new people as often as possible.
Networking doesn’t have to be formal and stodgy, at the hands of business groups or industry associations. If you can find out where your clients hang out, then you can get to know them socially. People would rather work with someone they know, anyway.
I Got More Business From My Client AFTER I Fired Him.
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We’ve all had THAT client. Communication is spotty, and when it happens, it’s cursory, never with the depth or breadth of information you really need. Getting information is like pulling teeth and getting approval or edits is even worse?
Well, I had one recently. Nice guy. Great business. Paid his 50% upfront without batting an eye. Loved the stuff I had already completed. But when this “three-week” project edged into its third month, after numerous efforts on my part to keep it on track, I was over it.
I wrote him a very nice, professional email stating the job we had agreed on (my project agreements always stress the importance of timely receipt of info, edits and/or approval), and detailing how things had gotten off track.
I explained that I just didn’t think that I was the right writer to continue the project. I told him I wished him well, but I was forfeiting the remaining 50% that would have been due upon approval and, if he wanted, I’d be more than happy to send the existing files and any necessary documentation to whoever he chose to continue in my stead.
Finally, I said I’d love to keep him as a client, and I outlined what that would entail on his part. This included going ahead and paying the 50% remainder in advance as a show of good faith, as this project was bleeding over into time I’d set aside for other projects, and affecting my ability to schedule other clients.
To my surprise, not only did he apologize for “wasting my time,” he sent me a check for the remaining 50%, and 1 week later we were done. Since then, he’s sent two referrals my way. And he just sent me a request for a quote on a new project (with a promise to be better about communicating in a timely manner).
I was fully prepared to walk away from this gig. Instead a $750 gig has turned into nearly five times that (including the referrals), all because I had the courage to fire him.
Take pride and stand up for yourself. Occasionally it pays of in more ways than one.
5 Ways to Break Through Your Own Limitations
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Sometimes it can seem as though you just cant go any further. You can’t break into a new niche… you can’t find that lucrative client… You want to keep growing, but can’t possibly take on any more business. Chances are, most of these roadblocks are limitations you’ve put on yourself. Here are a few ideas for breaking past them.
1. Are the limitations really there?
I love the phrase “think outside the box.” But it’s usually mis-used…as if there’s a box where we keep our same tired ideas, and inspiration is as easy as looking elsewhere. And that’s partly true.
But the phrase comes from a classic psychology test. Nine dots are arranged in three columns of three dots each. Subjects are asked to connect all nine dots with just three straight lines, without lifting the pen from the page. The only solution is to extend the line outside the matrix, but it almost never happens, because the brain “assumes” that the entire puzzle exists inside the confines of the 9 by 9 grid.
The real meaning of “outside the box” isn’t that your box contains tired old ideas. It’s that your box doesn’t even exist. What constraints are you unconsciously placing on your own growth?
2. Shift Perspectives
Borrow brilliance. You may not know what to do next. But someone, somewhere does. Just ask yourself “how would they do it?” How would Einstein solve this problem? Dr. Seuss? Elvis? A toothpick? Often the question alone is enough to springboard your mind onto entirely new trains of thought.
3. Learn a new skill
Maybe it’s not that you can’t do it. Maybe you just don’t know how yet? The internet is a wondrous place. There is a wealth of free tutorials on almost any subject. And if that’s enough, the catalog of university courses grows on an almost daily basis. Take advantage of it now.
4. Make the limitation obsolete
Sometimes, you’re right. You simply can’t do what needs to be done. Of course, you don’t really want to do what needs to be done, you want the result of having done it. So step back a bit and find a new way to achieve the same result.
5. Outsource the problem
You may not know how to do what needs to be done. But someone somewhere does. Even better than imagining how they’d do it…bring them on board and pay them to do it for you. There’s no shame in asking for help.
Are You A Writer Doing Business, Or a Business Person Who Writes?
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You know, when you’re out in the woods all alone, you have lots of time to think. It’s a great time to get introspective…even philosophical. And if you ever give minimalist camping a try for an extended time there will come a point when you realize an interesting but important distinction.
If you view yourself as a civilized person trying to survive, you’ve started out with a 50-50 chance. Maybe you’ll make it, maybe you won’t. But, if you view yourself as a survivor waiting till they get back to civilization, your odds are much better, simply because your attitude, your focus, the questions you ask yourself are completely different.
Most Freelance Writers Lack Business Savvy
The same goes for freelancing. As stereotypical as it sounds, most writers just don’t have much business sense. It’s not that they’re incapable. They just haven’t been trained—or often even exposed—to the things that make a business successful. And usually, they don’t even realize it.
They are writers trying to make a go of this business thing. And that’s why most freelance writers earn less that $5000 a year from their writing (those are the department of labor’s numbers, not mine).
But if you look at most successful freelancers, they don’t see themselves as writers in a business. They see themselves as professionals in the business of writing. So instead of looking at making money from a writer’s perspective using the tools of “business,” they look at it from a business person’s perspective using the tools of the writer.
Forget About the Words: Solve the Damn Problem
Nowhere is this as clear as in setting their rates. Writers torture themselves trying to figure out “how much they should charge” for a given project.
Now, any consultant in the world will tell you how they arrive at a price for their services: they take the hourly rate of everyone involved, estimate the number of hours to be spent, multiply those numbers, and there’s your project fee.
The same should be true of copywriters. If you have set a rate for yourself of $85 per hour, and a project is going to take 10 hours, then the project costs $850.
But many writers, indoctrinated by the publishing world, fixate on a per-word rate. Well, if you’re writing for an editor, that editor is buying your words. So you can argue that that’s a fair arrangement. As a copywriter, the client isn’t buying your words. They are buying your knowledge, your expertise…your time. Not simply the time spent at your desk writing, but the time spent interviewing subjects, researching the market, uncovering real, meaningful copy points, communicating with the client. It all has value to the end result.
You’re not selling words, your selling the solution to a problem.
The 15 Minute Business Plan
It surprises me how many writers don’t have a business plan. Now, I’m not talking about a formal “take-it-to-the-bank-to-get-a-loan” business plan, though there’s no real harm in it. I’m talking about a “this is who I am, this is what I do, and this is how I’m going to make money” sort of business plan.
One day they decided “I’m going to be a freelance copywriter,” and they were in business! Without a plan, they throw idea after idea to see what sticks, but never have a clear way to gauge if their efforts are successful or not.
All you need is 15 minutes or so, and you can have a rough sketch that can serve as a map for you. And you can refine and flesh it out as you go along. Just answer the following questions as thoroughly as possible: What am I going to write? Who am I going to write it for? How am I going to get those gigs? What is my target yearly income? How much will I need, minimum, to actually survive? How much money to I have to bring in each day to reach those goals?
That should be enough to get you started.
Targets, Goals and Milestones
Once you have your plan in place, plan your route there. Define three or five or ten milestones between where you are today, and your goal…and take action each day toward your first milestone. Keep track of your efforts. Note what works and what doesn’t, and change your actions accordingly.
Quit Begging for Work. Make Friends Instead
I don’t know any successful business person in any field who got that way by begging for the sale. Yet most writers who make cold-calls dial the phone, ask if the client needs any copywriting work, hangs up, and moves onto the next call.
The most successful salesmen don’t close the deal on the first call. Or the second. Or the third. By far the majority of sales take place between the 5th and 12th calls. And that’s not because they’re wearing the prospect down…it’s because they’re taking the time to build a relationship with that prospect. There is no repetitious script of “Hi, have any work for me today?”
In fact, successful sales consists of much more listening than selling. It consists of much more of them, and a lot less of you.
Develop Your Business Muscles
These are just a few examples of areas where you need to think less like a writer and more like a business person, if you want to see real success as a freelancer.
But invest some time reading about business. Spend a couple of hours in your local library or bookstore and look through the pages of magazines like Forbes, FastCompany and Inc. check out some of the featured selections in the business aisle covering management and sales.
And read ABOUT successful business people. Build a sort of internal business pantheon, so that when faced with a novel situation, you can ask yourself what would Richard Branson, or Andrew Carnegie or Henry Ford do?
So…how about you. Are you a writer who’s in business…or a business person who writes?
Improve Your Headline Writing with Twitter
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This is going to be a quickie. But a simple way to improve your headline skills is to use Twitter.
Tighten Your Writing
Just in general, Twitter forces an economy of words second only, perhaps, to writing billboards…where the rule of thumb is to get your idea across in 7 words or less. Twitter give you a little more leeway, with 140 characters or less. Do your best to get your idea across to your followers without resorting to “texting” abbreviations, like “u” for “you” or replacing “to,” “too,” with the number “2.” Use whole words and express complete thoughts.
It’s not quite as easy as it sounds.
The Twitter Split Test
But you can use Twitter in another way, too…as a split-testing tool. Write an entry on your blog. Write on lead-in that will drive traffic to your blog. Give yourself three or four hours, and post a link to the same post with a new lead-in. Most of your followers won’t mind, because most people aren’t on all day long, and don’t check their stream back more than a few hours.
Now, if you use bit.ly as your URL shortener, you can see exactly how many people clicked through each link to your article. If 20 people clicked through your first link, and 50 clicked through to your second, you know that your second lead-in was stronger.
Of course, there are other variables that can be at play…time of day, day of week…the actual relevance of the post to your followers…but if you approach all for your tweets with this perspective, in an attempt to strengthen your your writing, then you will be able to noticeably tighten your copy, and develop a knack for better headlines.
The Project Agreement: Terms of Payment
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Okay, so let’s talk about something that is critical to your success: the terms of payment section of your project agreement. Now, there’s a good chance that you can lay out the project details, define the project scope, outline the milestones and deadlines, and even clearly state the project fee and exactly what work is entailed in that price…and still end up shooting yourself in the foot. Read more
Do You Follow Your Own Advice?
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As copywriters, it’s easy to be “quick and easy” and simply slap our own stuff together. And all too often, writers end up falling into the same traps as the clients we try to advise.
Too frequently I see writers’ websites that start out talking about that writer’s 10 year’s experience, or superb track record, or some other tidbit designed to (hopefully) win the prospects trust and explain why we’re the right person for the job.
And yet, most of us know that the biggest way to waste a website, brochure or mailer, is to start off talking about the company and throwing around superlatives.
1. Check your website. If you’re not starting out by identifying a problem or explaining the benefits they will enjoy after choosing you, it might be a good idea to re-think your own copy.
2. Are you testing the various elements on your site…or at least tracking traffic patterns with a program like Google Analytics?
3. Are you trying to find places where your targets are congregating, online and off in order to make the most of your marketing, PR and networking?
Set some time aside and hire yourself as a client. Think through your business the way you would a client’s, put a plan together, and spend at least a little time each week putting that plan into action.
Do You Cold Call?
2 commentsI just got an email from “Leslie M.” with these very kind words:
“Excellent information…thank you for sharing your ideas, as I have the same issue with cold-calling [and]…find it hard to sell myself. Your ideas are a low-key, casual, easy-to-implement processes that will build trust in prospective clients. I like your style, and I will use your suggestions for my own business.”
Now THAT’S what I like to hear 
I know copywriting is often referred to as “salesmanship in print.” And that’s pretty accurate. But, for many writers, selling a client to his prospect is a world away from selling yourself to your own.
Throw in the fact that most writers WASTE all that discomfort and anxiety by not making the most of it when a handful of those prospects actually DO visit your site, and it only reinforces my belief that cold-calling is usually more trouble than it’s worth.
Comments like this just plain make me glad I decided to put this report out there.
How about you…what are your thoughts/feelings about cold-calling to build your business? Give us your take, below…
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