SOLD OUT: Sorry, but the FREE Marketing Q&A webinar hosted by Jake Poinier and featuring yours truly has no room. However, you can get on the list for the next one! Get on the list here
Can I breathe yet? By the end of yesterday, I’d finally dug myself out from under a rather massive project pile. I have more coming next week, and two of them will be bigger. But for now, I’m going to relax a bit. That should last about four hours the way things are going. 🙂
I had time to talk with a local writer friend. We were discussing our various projects, and I was relating a conversation with a potential writing client a while back. I had gone over my background and explained the various areas I’ve covered over the last 15 years. The prospect asked for samples, which is not uncommon (every prospect but one this year has asked). I sent over my more current clips, taking care to send what was relevant.
The client called. “Your samples are good, but could you send some that pertain to human resources?”
As I was telling my friend this, I said, “Just goes to show — no matter how long you’ve been at this, you’re only as good as that one line item they want to see.”
It’s true with most freelance writers, isn’t it? You can have the most impressive portfolio containing nearly every marketing piece or article topic imaginable….and they’re going to want the one you don’t have, or the one that’s so old it’s no longer online. Why?
Because clients don’t always see how some topics relate.
I’ve had this issue in the past. I’ve had companies at trade shows look at my portfolio and ask if I cover this area or that. It’s understandable. They want assurance that their money isn’t wasted.
If you specialize, you’re not escaping the issue. I specialize, and I field that question on occasion. So how do you convince the prospective client you’re able to handle a job for which you have no direct sample?
Show the relationship. You write about cat care. Yet that new client doesn’t see anything related to dogs. Show how the issues are intertwined. I write about risk, something that is present in every situation. Yet I still have to show clients in fields such as identity protection or staffing how the topic relates to what their audience needs. If you’re meeting a prospect whose business isn’t directly reflecting your background, do your homework. Find the ways in which their business and your background work.
Don’t try too hard. I think one of the worst things we can do as writers facing prospects is try too hard to convince them we can do it. It feels desperate, and it could leave your prospect wondering if you’re a little too hungry for a reason. Instead, state confidently your background and your case. “I do have experience in that area, though my clips are no longer available online.” Don’t make excuses for missing clips, and don’t keep talking without really saying anything. And don’t offer to scare up clips you may not be able to find. Instead….
Gather your testimonials. Remember that client you worked with 10 years ago whose project gave you the experience the prospect is asking to see? If you can’t get the clip, either because of a NDA or because of a computer crash wiping out your hard drive (get on the cloud, people), you can instead ask former/existing clients for testimonials that state what type of project, what topic, and what the satisfaction level was. No need to reveal trade secrets, either.
Write tighter letters of introduction. One way I manage to get that prospect’s attention is by including in my letters some language that builds the connection between what I do and what they need. “I noticed your auto blog covers these areas (listing them). For a number of clients, I’ve written on these topics, which can easily apply to your topic area.”
Bulk up the portfolio. I’ll admit I have a ton of hard copies of my work that are no longer available online. Most of those clips would have been useful in the conversation I had a month ago. I was lucky — I had some electronic files that sufficed, but in reality, I could dedicate more time to making sure all areas of my background are amply represented. The same goes for you. And if you don’t have a specific clip, create one.
Build a stronger brand. Ideally for experienced freelance writers, this shouldn’t even be an issue. If your brand is strong and you have name recognition, there’s a better chance you won’t be asked for missing clips. You may still be asked by prospects who don’t know you, but if you can point them to a solid website and marketing material that infuses prospects with confidence in your abilities, you’ll have fewer requests for that one more piece of proof.
Writers, how do you win over prospects who see the missing clip over your experience?