There are times that I'm asked something like "why do you charge 'x' to write a simple letter?" (or webpage, proposal, etc)

While many professionals get annoyed when justifying their price, I have found that it's really better to make the asker understand that they aren't paying for the actual "work", but for the results that the work produces.

Take my line of work for example: Let's face it - anyone can put words on paper and write a letter. Or copy for a webpage. Or a marketing proposal. There's nothing to it - press a few keyboard buttons. A child can do it.

But will it be read by strangers?  And get you the result you want? THAT'S what you are paying me for.

This reminds me of a great story that's been floating around the net' for a few years (I do not know who to credit for this - if anyone knows, let me know):

"The huge printing presses of a major Chicago newspaper began malfunctioning on the Saturday before Christmas, putting all the revenue for advertising that was to appear in the Sunday paper in jeopardy. This was a big problem. None of the technicians could track down the cause of the malfunction. Finally, a frantic call was made to the retired printer who had worked with these presses for over 40 years. "We'll pay anything; just come in and fix them," he was told.

When he arrived, he walked around for a few minutes, surveying the presses; then he approached one of the control panels and opened it. He removed a dime from his pocket, turned a screw 1/4 of a turn, and said, "The presses will now work correctly." After being profusely thanked, he was told to submit a bill for his work.

The bill arrived a few days later, for $10,000.00! Not wanting to pay such a huge amount for so little work, the printer was told to please itemize his charges, with the hope that he would reduce the amount once he had to identify his services. The revised bill arrived:

$1.00 for turning the screw

$9,999.00 for knowing which screw to turn. "

I'm a gamer. Been one since I saw my first arcade in the 70's. I've owned the Atari, Intellivision, Nintendo, Playstation, etc. I've also been interested in computer games since I played "Mystery House" in high school on an Apple 2c.

Right now, my gaming machine of choice is an X-Box 360. I like my 360 an awful lot, so I wasn't all that interested in a Playstation 3 or a Wii when they came out in November.

Good thing, too, because I probably couldn't get one if I wanted to. 

And that just blows my mind. In my mind, Nintendo and Sony have lost the right to EVER have a bad financial quarter. You can't tell me business is bad when people were lining up to throw money at you for your new product, which you couldn't deliver. Logistics, manufacturing snafu's... whatever. They blew it.

They have hundreds of thousands (likely millions) of people who would buy one RIGHT NOW if they were only available. That's just inexcusable, and a lesson for every business on what NOT to do. Under-estimating sales are one thing. Missing it by hundreds of thousands of units is another altogether. And it's not like they couldn't see this coming.

The bad PR and angry customers will never be overcome or won back. How many new converts did Microsoft get because they have plenty of 360's available? Millions? Probably. The 360 is a nice machine.

No real overrriding reason for posting this except that to point out that even huge, famous companies sometimes make colossal marketing mistakes.

Here's another website conversion tip:

Don't Preach to the Choir

This tip actually expands on tip #1 (which was solve a reader's problem.)  What I mean is this - in many cases, you need not "sell" a reader on the need for your service. Instead, sell them on your service itself.

Not so clear? Maybe this will explain it better:

When I first had my website, I greeted visitors with a lengthy treatise as to WHY they needed writing. I thought I had to sell the NEED for my service.

But wait.... didn't my reader already kinda/sorta decide they needed writing before even coming to my site? Why else would you even come to my site? I mean, you didn't come here to buy kitty litter or to find out how to get rid of slugs, did you?

Of course not - you came here for writing (by the way, you can get rid of slugs by pouring kitty litter on them.) 

So, since you came to my website for writing, why was I wasting the most valuable space on my website telling people WHY they needed writing? I should have been using that space to tell them why they needed MY writing.

By the way, I still have plenty of "why you need good writing" on my website (it builds credibility and shows I know what I'm talking about... I hope.) It's just not my lead pitch.

Instead, I assume that just by coming to my site, a visitor has already decided that perhaps they need a professional writer. I sell ME (or, more accurately, the results I produce) first and foremost.  

See the difference?

Here's another of my favorite articles that I wrote awhile back, and felt deserved to be here on the blog:

On the Beach? Me???

Sometimes I like to look at other copywriting sites to keep up with what's going on in the business. While most of the sites are good, inevitably, I run across some copywriting guru selling a book that will magically turn you (yes, you!) into a copywriting genius who makes six figures overnight.

Nevermind that it took me (and others) years to develop our skill. It can be learned overnight! From a  book!!!

One site I found was SO over the top, and SO outrageous, that it made me spit my coffee out in laughter. It said something like this:

Become a copywriter and work as much or as little as you want!! Work from the mountains, the beach, anywhere!! Write while listening to gentle ocean waves!! Why, I wrote all last summer from a 16th century French château while perfumed servants threw fresh flowers at my feet as I walked to the fountains bubbling with pure vintage wine!! Then a nine course meal was prepared, and once the prime minister finished waxing my Jaguar...

Ok, I'm exaggerating  but  you get the idea (truth be told, I don't even know if France even has a Prime Minister, and if they do, if he or she can wax a car.) But the website's author implied that you can get that lifestyle too, if you just buy his book!

Well, let me tell you a little secret: being a copywriter really isn't like that.

While it is true I have a home office, my home is circa 1966, and the nearest wave is 150 miles away. And I don't have servants. I do have a wife, but those of you with wives (or who are wives) know that's not nearly the same thing. Oh sure, I can order the dog around, but she only listens because I feed her, not because I'm a copywriter. And forget about asking the cat to do anything.

And believe me, I can't work "as little as I want". In fact, because I have a home office, I generally work every single day. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do. I wouldn't trade my job with anyone. But this is hardly some bohemian lifestyle where I write a paragraph or two while nature's splendor erupts all around me. It's a bit more involved.

Just wanted to quell any misconceptions some of these websites may have given. Now if you'll excuse me, my wife is calling...