Are You Selling Yourself Short as an Ethical Copywriter?
Are you sick and tired of not meeting your goals as an ethical copywriter? You see so many other copywriters succeeding where you fail. Perhaps you’ve submitted dozens of proposals on Upwork, but have gotten zero traction. They keep going for people with more experience. Or your last client call tanked, yet again. You know you have valuable services to offer, but you’re starting to doubt your ability to succeed.
It’s time to reevaluate your Entrepreneur mindset and take a mental shift of positivity. Let’s remove some key obstacles that are holding you back from being the best ethical copywriter you can be.
A Passive Entrepreneur Mindset Leads to a Passive Portfolio
Looking back on my life, I know that growing up in modern society, I was taught over and over again to make myself small. I know it wasn’t consciously done, but over time it built up until it became a huge roadblock to my success.
I was told to treat others with kindness, let small inconveniences go, and turn the other cheek — the list goes on. If you’re anything like me, you are learning to have confidence in yourself. And that the value you bring to others, is a great thing.
So let’s nip that passive mindset in the bud once and for all. When you are dealing with clients, it’s so important that you approach them with confidence. Don't allow the client to take charge during your communications. This will undersell your ability to manage the project. It also does them a disservice as it doesn’t allow you to share your expertise fully.
As the expert in the room, it is important to view yourself as a business owner rather than an employee. You don’t work for them, you work for yourself. When you’re starting out, it is often easy to lose sight of this fact. When you lose sight of it, it’s easy to lose control of the project. And that is a recipe for disaster.
Now that I've talked about leaving a passive approach behind, let’s talk about some concrete ways you can do it.
Key Ways to Prepare for a Client Call and Bring Your Entrepreneur Mindset with You
So you’ve landed another client call. And this time, you’re determined to make sure it goes well. You will prove you can fulfill their needs with your ethical copywriting skills. How do you show them the value you bring to their company?
Here are some basic achievable steps that will set you up for success:
Do your research on your client. Visit their website, and their social media pages, and sign up for their email lists. Go to the call with an idea of how to help them. Doing your research will ensure you’re ready to bring your value to the table immediately.
Understand their brand. Identify who their target audience is, based on what you see on their website. See if it lines up with who they reveal is their target audience in the call. Make sure they are getting the right message across to the right people.
Even though you’ve done your research on them before the meeting, keep an open mind. Make sure you are able to pivot when they describe unexpected business goals. You can still use the knowledge you have to advise them, it will just need some tweaking.
Ask lots of questions. Contrary to popular belief, asking questions doesn’t make you appear stupid. Instead, it sets you up for success for the project. Your main job for them is to understand their brand and their needs and create a strategy to meet them. You can’t do that if you don’t know who they are.
Treat them as your client before any contracts are signed. If you treat them as a client, you are less likely to treat yourself as an employee. You’ll better be able to approach them as an entrepreneur who brings value, rather than as an employee begging for work.
Now that you’ve had a successful client call. And you’ve talked about a solid game plan that will bring big results to their website and their business. There is one more hurdle before you can start on their project. Will they pay your fees?
Charging Based on the Value Added by Your Ethical Copywriting
Often, we feel like everyone is out for a bargain. We see it all the time in our everyday lives. People waiting for the holiday sale to buy that special thing that they’ve wanted for months. But you have to remember that people value what they pay for.
Don't undercut your prices in the hopes that someone will be more willing to pay for your services. Instead, highlight the value that you bring as an ethical copywriter. And charge what your services are worth.
When you offer a bargain price, you are sending an underlying message. The message is that your work is not actually going to bring them the value that they need.
You have done your job of showing your skillset and what you bring to the table in your client call. Don’t let fear of rejection negate all that hard work by not believing in yourself. The right business owner will see your services as an investment in their business. And they will pay you what you’re worth.
If you’ve been talking to a bargain hunter, then they likely aren’t the right client for you anyways. Don't allow imposter syndrome to dictate your prices. This is one of the biggest disservices you can do for yourself.
Looking for More Copy Coaching?
Reach out (link) to learn more about how Lauren can help you reach your copywriting goals either with a mindset shift or concrete copywriting coaching.
Lauren has strong copywriting skills as well as a huge desire to help others. With these skills, the goal at Littlewood Copy is to promote ethical copywriting and walk alongside any who need a little boost in their copy skillset or a shift of mindset.
About The Author: My name is Maggie Schlegel. I’m a Copywriter, Entrepreneur, and a full-time mom. I like to keep busy, and one of the things that I am passionate about is helping people realize their business dreams through Copy. If people can’t find your website, they can’t buy your product! I use strong SEO tactics and persuasive writing to ensure your website reaches your target audience and brings results. Visit Maggie's Website.