Most writers work hard at getting clients and market themselves several times a month to win clients for their writing business who don’t expect magazine quality writing for a sandwich. However, high paying clients or even those that pay decent money usually get treated like rock stars initially by writers who don’t quite know how to balance marketing skills with consistent quality writing and customer service, which is the key to getting repeat business.
So, here is how I do it: Rules of professional writing
- My number one rule of professional writing is not to discuss one client with another, even if it is tempting to bring up rates or leeway given with deadlines when negotiating a new writing contract. The deal here is similar to maintaining a good portfolio of varied clients and letting each feel privileged – like boyfriends who don’t want to know about competition even if they are aware of rivals existing!
- Rule number two for professional writers keen on getting repeat business is never to make a client feel like they are intruding on your time. Don’t be whiny or distracted during a business call if you want repeat business for your writing services and this means holding yourself back from mumbling ‘I’m busy’ or ‘Hmmn’ If you are genuinely tied up, it is preferable to respectfully offer to call back at the earliest and follow through with the inquiry as it can be interpreted as lack of interest on your part to take up new writing projects.
- Bring in an element of fun by making yourself appear more approachable and regular, as opposed to lofty figures of typical copywriters who are projected as moody, irrational, eccentric, pampered and isolated people only creating great copy under stress, after major cajoling or life-threatening situations (like poverty!). Reveal your personality and build your market by giving a blog link or twitter follow button in your marketing emails and make it easy for clients to find you, like you and approach you via your casual, witty, personalized posts!
- When faced with the client from hell, like the guy who owes you money or won’t part with $10 for a sample article even, resolve the difference as politely and quickly as you can to avoid making enemies who will damage your reputation and your productivity as a writer.
- Always work to deliver value in your articles and writing projects so your client feels they are getting value for money, especially if you are a high-priced writer. A ‘worth it’ feeling gets more repeat writing clients than any amount of special offers, freebies and bulk article writing discounts a writer can think of!
- I never apologize for my writing fee even if a client informs me it is costly. Instead I try to be gracious about their budget and adjust it if possible, depending on work at hand and interest in the job because it is nice to be considered but even nicer being appreciated for the unique voice I can bring to a client’s copy. And honesty, I don’t ask for your first born, so there’s really not much of a scare there.
- Rule number 7 of professional reddit essay writing service writing is something that works magic for me – it’s to do with quick turn around, or TAT as we in the writing world call it. With so much of a rush for new web content, web masters and affiliate marketers are always looking for writers that can turn out quick, readable and original copy in next to no time and when I focus on delivering 5 to 10 articles daily for them, they come back for more!
- Pay attention to interesting project delivery preferences of clients during your first negotiation. Learn and file away little, but significant things about clients – for example, the ones who prefer phone calls to emails and those that like articles formatted in a certain way to those wanting CMS uploads. Then work on delivering projects in ways preferred by the client to make them feel privileged – and coming back for more!
- Rule number 9 of professional writing is to always be courteous and patient in understanding specifications for projects and delivery, and being upfront about how many rewrites if at all any, I will provide for a client after a sample writing in the same genre has been approved. This approach helps keep things uncomplicated, helps clients have realistic expectations and also gets me good referrals!