With the world in a literal crisis right now, you knew it was coming.
It’s oversell time.
Everyone and his uncle is trying to convince you that their product, their new book/webinar/course/paid whatever is exactly what you need right now. You’re probably already seeing sales, limited-time freebies, and pushes coming from the lists you subscribe to.
In about 5 percent of those pushes and freebies lies something of actual value to you.
How do you tell which freelance writing offers are worth your time and which ones aren’t?
[bctt tweet=”No matter what #freelancewriting offer comes in, you should vet the sender. Even if you know them.” username=”LoriWidmer”]
Here are some guidelines for making sure you’re not parting with much-needed cash and getting little in return:
Examine the language used.
There are some pretty provocative offers floating around right now, and some are making wild claims that the audience, if they are thinking, knows aren’t true. So why claim that you spent seven days in a boat on a lake writing the latest smash-hit webinar when you weren’t? Because the language is to draw you in and create an image. While in marketing terms it’s good to create an image, it sucks when you start your relationship with potential clients by lying to them. Even if the sender thinks they’re wildly hilarious.
Also, that provocative claim that made you laugh or read further — is it hiding something? In one case I saw recently, the seller was pushing something that wasn’t all that unique. In fact, it had been done elsewhere numerous times. For free.
Consider the offer itself.
One sales pitch I saw in my in box was pushing a book on a topic that I’d just written a few blog posts on. Moreover, it was the hot topic, and there was plenty of free info (and probably better info) coming from numerous sources. Why pay for what’s already out there?
When you see sales pitches, open your browser. Type in the very keywords this pitch includes, but add the word “free” to it. Voila. You’ll never have to pay for regurgitated information again. Now try the search without the word “free.” Yep. Still lots of free stuff, isn’t there?
Who’s selling it?
No good disaster goes unsolicited. Right now, there are plenty of scammers out there just dying to scare you or motivate you into paying them for perceived goods or services you’ll never receive. Do you know that person?
Here’s how to vet someone: look first at the email return address. Does it look familiar? No? Then delete it. If you’re not sure, search that person’s name online and attach it to the word “review.” Even if you think you know the person sending the sales pitch, make sure to ask around. In one case, a writer I know wanted a refund on a terrible course she’d taken, but the only way to get a refund was to write a good review. That kind of defeats the purpose, doesn’t it? And it traps someone else into making the same mistake in the future.
Look for the caveats.
In fact, that caveat itself would be enough to sour me to the sales pitch. Any time anyone attaches conditions to your money-back guarantee or offers you free anything in exchange for a good word to others, they’re not offering value.
If you’re concerned, ask for a written explanation of the offer. If they want to talk it over on the phone, agree only if they’ll allow you to record the conversation (and you get their permission on the recording). If you can’t follow the twists and turns that come with the offer or discount, don’t do it. Avoid the trap of being unsatisfied and having no recourse.
Ask pointed questions.
I got a request for writing work last week from someone who had used my website contact form. The website seemed legit, but something about the note felt off. So I asked for more details. I did get a few more sentences, but there was still a sense that someone wasn’t being straight with me. I responded saying I thought I wasn’t quite the fit for them, but I had some writers in mind. Could they provide a few more details so the next writer would be a better fit?
You guessed it — silence.
Trust your gut. If something feels off, it probably is. A serious client would never walk away if you’re asking for details. They’ll give them, or they’ll ask you to sign an nondisclosure agreement first. But any client can talk in general terms without a NDA. If they don’t, they’re not your client. They’re probably not anyone’s client, actually.
Writers, what are you seeing in terms of scams, lousy offers, or people capitalizing on other people’s misfortunes right now?