What’s on the iPod: Elizabeth by The Airborne Toxic Event
The week is starting out a bit rough. The article I’m working on is going well, but the potential projects talked about in January are still hanging in limbo. It’s a bit frustrating, but if the client isn’t ready, there’s not a ton you can do to alleviate that. So I continue to market and to contact existing clients. Also, I pushed forward with my plan to move into related industry segments. So far, the reception has been warm.
I’ve been reading a few LinkedIn forums and a few blogs here and there. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m seeing quite a few erroneous statements, a good deal of misinformation, and a lot of downright awful advice being sold as the Next Big Thing. No, I do not hold all the answers, but I have a finely tuned BS meter, and I’m congenitally cynical.
So I thought it might be fun to test ourselves a little. Let’s take a few scenarios — things we see every day — and see how we respond.
Scenario #1: The client who said too much.
Your client has just received your initial pricing proposal/contract. There’s a problem — expectations do not match what the client is seeing. The client fires off an email telling you off or calling you crazy for your price/terms. Strongly worded, the email is meant to hit like a hammer.
Your response:
a.) Write back and explain yourself. Tell the client why the price/contract is the way it is. Show examples of past projects in which you worked under the exact same parameters. Invite additional conversation.
b.) Write back and say “I understand you can’t afford me/don’t know how to work with professional writers. Whenever your budget changes/If you’re willing to see that the terms are fairly standard, let me know.”
c.) Say nothing and move on to the next client.
Scenario #2: The innovative marketing approach.
You have an active LinkedIn presence. You notice a lot of people looking at your portfolio. You:
a.) Take advantage of their recent interest by sending a connection request.
b.) Tell them you’ve noticed they were looking and ask how you can help.
c.) Ignore it altogether — sometimes, people are just curious.
Scenario #3: The Follow-Me campaign.
You’re a social media darling! And you’ve leveraged each outlet to get you more followers in other outlets. When someone follows you on Twitter, you:
a.) Send an automated message thanking them and pointing them to your book sales page.
b.) Send an automated “Follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn!” notice, complete with links.
c.) Write a quick note thanking them for following.
d.) Do nothing – you get a ton of followers every day.
Scenario #4: The rewritten article.
You’re desperate to pitch an idea to that coveted magazine. In your research, you notice a terrific article on the very topic you’re pitching. You:
a.) Find a unique angle specific to the magazine and find new ways to explore this idea.
b.) Forget it; it’s already been done. Who needs another article on this?
c.) Using the original article, you rewrite it in your words, maybe sprinkling in bits of another article or two.
So let’s look at each scenario:
Scenario #1:
If you chose A, give yourself one point. While in some cases it could be acceptable to explain yourself to a client who isn’t liking your terms, this client insulted you. You’re justifying the bad behavior by defending yourself. Proceed with caution.
If you chose B, give yourself zero points. You’ve just insulted the client, bringing you right down into the gutter with him. Not only are your chances of getting any work at any point from them now nil, you’re not getting any referrals, either. You may not want a referral, but you never know who this client knows and how much further up the food chain they are.
If you chose C, give yourself three points. Clients who insult you or resort to emotional manipulation aren’t clients you need to be dealing with. Move on, but never slam the door closed. People often move on from one position to another — the door could open again, and you want to be in a position to be seen as someone who acts professionally.
Scenario #2:
If you chose A, give yourself one point. In some cases, it may be okay to request a connection, but tread carefully. It could read “creepy” by someone who just wanted to glimpse at your profile.
If you chose B, give yourself zero points. Cyber-stalk much? Nothing says “I’m desperate and I’m watching your every move” like emailing perfect strangers who happen in on your page.
If you chose C, give yourself just one point. Ignoring it isn’t exactly the right answer, either. It’s going to take a bit of practice, but there will be times when you do need to request a connection. Just be choosy about those times. Otherwise, it could look creepy again.
Scenario #3:
If you chose A, give yourself a zero and take two points off your score. And watch me stop following you. No one wants to be greeted by an automated message, let alone one that tries selling something. No. No. No.
If you chose B, give yourself a zero. If I wanted to follow you on Facebook, I’d do it on my own. If you really want people to know about your other social media addictions, mention them on your profile.
If you chose C, give yourself three points. A personal note of thanks is always welcome, and it builds a relationship.
If you chose D, give yourself one point. It’s better to say nothing than to link people to death. If you don’t have time for personal notes, skip it.
Scenario #4:
If you chose A, give yourself five points and a pat on the back. That’s how you’re supposed to operate as a professional writer. The copyrighted material is used as a jumping-off point, not as your entire article.
If you chose B, give yourself zero points, and maybe look into another career. Our job as professional writers is to find new facets of a particular topic and start new conversations. If we can’t do that, we probably won’t last. I can’t remember the last idea I sold that probably hadn’t been done already. The idea is to make it yours with your own research and your own style.
If you chose C, give yourself zero points and erase all points you’ve earned so far. It is never okay to rewrite one or more articles or combine them in any way to make another article. If you don’t cite the source (and who would when the whole thing is a conglomeration of other people’s hard work?), you’re stealing. It’s a serious-enough problem that I’ve seen this disclaimer popping up on magazine websites: This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
This quiz is made up entirely of my own thoughts on writing. Your thoughts may be different. If so, tell us why.
Writers, did you get different answers? Convince us that your answer is correct and why.
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