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How Can I Avoid Loser Clients?

Q: “Do you have any suggestions, when it comes to networking, for conveying an image that says “Top-quality, top-pay work only”? I’m tired of fending off individuals who want someone to dash off a resume, edit a college paper or self-published book, or write a press release for $50-$100.”—Katherine
 

A: I’m sorry to report that loser clients strike even experienced, high-earning writers. But there are some concrete steps you can take to cut down on the number of loser pitches you get and increase the number of solid leads. Here are my tips:
 

1. Read what your website says.

I took a look at Katherine's site, which was pretty solid, but could be better. I'd add a picture of Katherine on the home page--remember, people hire people, not faceless websites.

I also recommend having at least a partial bio right on that landing page, with a few of your top client names showing, as I do on my caroltice.com site. Think about your site like a prospect — what do you want to know?

Primarily, it’s “Who is this writer, do they do the type of writing I want done, and who have they written for before?” Try to get brief answers to those questions right on your landing page. Since Katherine’s URL has “commercial writing” in it, that helps.

Running through her tabs, her bio just has a few association and certification links, and needs beefing up. She’s got some clips (though I’d like to see markets cited with the article links), testimonials (nice!), and she does a newsletter (very nice!). A mixed bag here, and the home page needs substantial strengthening so it screams “I’m a pro, and these are the types of writing I have experience in.”
 

2. Look at your website layout.

Katherine knows her bright-yellow and blue layout isn’t the most professional look, but she told me she doesn’t know how to update it. A designer created it, and then disappeared. This is a problem I hear about all the time. Two words: Solve it!

Either take a class to do it yourself, or hire somebody to overhaul your layout with more professional colors. The bright yellow she uses reminds me of some cheesy direct-mail ad.

Cheap Web help is readily available — for about a year, I used a teen from my high school’s digital design program. They need final projects to work on!

Writer sites are not that complicated, and some appropriate colors and clean organization would help. One problem I see a lot on WordPress-based writer sites is their blog about some arcane niche topic, and the blog dominates the home page, while their resume and clips are shunted aside. Not the best strategy for getting better-paying work. Put those white papers and feature articles front and center instead.
 

3. Consider where you network.

When I first started actively networking for my freelance writing business back in ’08, I went to a few local events in my small town. I was a bit startled to have experienced networkers ask me, “Who’s your ideal client?”

I didn’t know what to say! I hadn’t really thought about it that much. When I did, I realized my ideal clients at this point in my career weren’t going to be at these local events — they are medium- to major-sized corporations and $1-a-word magazine markets.

So I changed where I network, got off my fanny and humped it into Seattle to go to big-time networking events. What do you know — I met the editor of Costco Connection, an editor of Microsoft Office Live — way better and more appropriate clients.

If you’re not getting the caliber of clients you want networking where you are, hit a bigger market or explore some other events until you hit the right mix. Maybe consider sucking it up and joining one of the pro groups such as BNI, where people are more serious about their business and understand marketing costs. Also, plug your authority more — maybe post some articles on BizSugar that display your expertise.

4. Listen to what you say when you network.
Do you have your elevator pitch nailed down, about who you are and what you do? Does it include a specific description of the type of writing work you’re looking for?

Hone your pitch to deflect losers. “I’m a freelance writer” leaves you wide open for anything, where “I’m a freelance writer who focuses on national women’s magazines and healthcare-industry copywriting” communicates more professionalism and a sharper sense of what you want.
 

5. Look at where you’re querying.

If you’re pitching publications, are you taking the time to search The Writer’s Market or other databases to find top-paying markets to query? Are you crafting well-polished queries tailored to those markets? If you don’t ask $1-a-word markets for assignments, you usually don’t get them.

Enjoy,

Carol Tice

P.S. Remember, 100+ Freelance Writing Questions Answered and its accompanying coaching call are guaranteed to answer *your* question, or your money back!