Late start for me today — my apologies. The weekend was just too glorious to stay inside writing.
When it comes to marketing, we writers tend to think if we build it, they will come (they being the clients). That’s not necessarily true. While it works when your marketing approach meshes with their needs, it may not work if your potential client is on the fence. Or if they don’t respond to emails but would rather have a phone call. Or a letter. Or a face-to-face meeting.
Not looking good for your email campaign, is it?
Today’s Marketing Move:
Don’t make clients fit your formula.
I had a real estate salesperson once who told me his formula – if the buyers didn’t buy one of four homes he showed them, he moved on to other buyers. The problem with that formula? We bought our home, but it was the seventh one we looked at. He was long gone by then, as was any commission he’d have received.
Pretty stupid move on his part, right?
Customers and clients do not fit into a formula. Each customer’s need is going to be different, and there are plenty of cases where a customer may need something more tailored. For example, if you sell kitchen cabinets, you already know that kitchens are not all built or designed around standard cabinet sizes. The same goes for marketing your writing services. You might be able to reach quite a few people in email, but what about those people who are inundated with emails already? Yours is just one more to ignore. Or what about the potential client who has an admin answering critical emails and weeding out the rest? How are you going to reach them?
You’re not, obviously. So what now?
Look on social media. How many of those silent-in-email clients are talking up a storm on social media? If the answer is plenty, then why aren’t you reaching out to them there?
And what about an actual mailed letter? Why not try standing out that way instead?
Also, look at what you’re offering in your sales pitch. If you’re focusing on strictly brochure writing (but you do several other things), you may be selling the wrong service to the wrong person. That person might need a slew of blog posts or ghostwritten articles.
Stop trying to make your customer fit into your formulaic marketing process. Instead, think of ways to make your products/services fit into their needs.
Writers, how do you personally make your pitch meet your client’s needs?
Wow. That Realtor expected people to make one of life’s biggest decisions after only seeing four houses? That seems a bit rigid. I know people who’ve had a Realtor show them more than four homes in one day.
His loss. Literally.
When emailing potential clients doesn’t work, I’ll try mailing a package or calling. It never hurts to mix it up.
Paula, I checked up on him today. He now runs a food truck. Not surprising, either.
When we moved to the Cape, we looked at 11 houses in 2 days, before we decided on the one we’re currently renting.
Exactly! Who decides in just four houses? I’d say that realtor boxed himself in, too. The pressure wasn’t on us, but actually on HIM.
And man, did he lose!
Perfectly said. More humanness! Thank you.
Humans should be human. 😉
I research the business. I have ideas on how I can add to the team when I pitch. I don’t denigrate what they’re doing. I point out what about their company is exciting and interesting, why I was drawn to it, and how I think we can take it further.
Yes, this. I’ve never understood the “your website sucks” approach some writers will take. If that person receiving your note wrote that website and loves it, you’ve just lost any hope of working with them.
I like to take a velvet-paw approach. I’m complimentary, yet will give my honest two cents, if asked, in a way that makes it sound like a collaboration.