Your Writing Script

Over on Anne Wayman’s blog, Helen Kaiao Chang has a great post up about the writer as a salesperson. Helen outlines why we writers need a sales script, which has helped her increase her business significantly.

But what’s in a sales script? Does that sound cold and repetitive? It’s not. My script is this – carefully worded sentences that I ask the client that tell me what I need to know about the project and show the client I’m the person who needs to be hired.

Helen indicates her own script is something she’s honed to a point where she can glean information that helps her come up with appropriate pricing while she understands the project’s focus. Taking it just a little further, I try to show my experience in what I’m asking. For instance, suppose I have a client call and ask what my price is for a brochure. My questions would be something like this:

– Are you looking for a single page, a trifold, or something larger?
– Who is your audience/customer?
– What message are you wanting to send? Say it in your own words.
– What tone are you looking for – punchy, serious, authoritative, friendly, etc?
– How do you plan to use the brochure?
– What’s your goal? Any deadlines on that goal?
– If you could say anything to your customer about your business, what would that be?
– Have you done any marketing pieces in the past? What’s been the response?
– Are you looking for a piece that aligns with your business mission or vision?

Obviously generic questions based on a hypothetical, but these are questions that show more than a little experience to a new client. Also, they show your interest in their project, as well as giving you that information you need to do the job correctly.

That’s my sales script. I don’t go into how fabulous I am – I go into questions that show the client I know what I’m doing. I give a brief bio at the end of it just so they know who they’re considering for hire, but I amend that bio to fit with their particular project. Using the example above, I would tell the client I’ve written brochures for XX companies in industries A, B, and C. I’d mention online brochures, newsletters, and news releases.

What’s your sales script? Do you put enough thought into the questions so that you show your client your experience?